In this episode of The Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with author, musician, creative visionary, and nonprofit director Mark Firehammer—a lifelong creator whose journey spans songwriting, AI-enhanced music, live-stream innovation, and a profound mission to reconnect humanity through art. From his early days as an introverted kid searching for meaning to becoming the mind behind The Echo and the Voice—an epic tale exploring creative identity and transformation【11:24-31】—Mark shares the deeply human experiences that shaped his creative evolution. If you've ever felt the pull toward something bigger, something more authentic, or something that reconnects you with your inner creative voice, this conversation will hit home.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode

~The moment Mark realized his creative path was bigger than a career—it's a calling.

~Why introverts often make the most powerful artists, and how Mark overcame the discomfort of stepping into the spotlight【11:58-60】.

~How a small pizza shop in a college town became a live-streaming creative hub in 2007—years before streaming went mainstream【1:29:36-53】.

~The birth of the Creative Humanity Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to awakening creativity across the globe, and why its mission matters now more than ever【11:35-38】【2:04:43-48】.

~Why Mark believes creativity can reshape mental health, community, and even the human environment【2:06:61-67】.

~A viral-worthy moment where Mark reveals the secret to protecting your creative work in the age of AI—and why releasing your creations publicly is often the most powerful form of copyright【4:83-85】.

Connect and Support Mark: https://markfirehammer.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mfirehammer

Creative Humanity Alliance: https://creativehumanityalliance.org

Get Noticed and Be a Guest through ‪@PodMatch_com‬ : https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery

#MarkFirehammer, #creativeidentity, #artisticawakening, #introvertedcreator, #creativetransformation, #AIinmusic, #creativehumanity, #CreativeHumanityAlliance, #awakenedcreativity, #emotionalstorytelling, #creativepurpose, #innervoice, #authenticcreativity, #humanconnection, #creativefreedom, #personalevolution, #songwriterjourney, #musicianstory, #creativityandAI, #creativeecosystem, #artisticresilience, #creativemindset, #purposedrivencreativity, #creativeexpression, #transformativestory, #creativeleadership, #artisticempowerment, #creativehealing, #creativemission, #creatorjourney, #creativityawakening, #livestreampioneer, #earlyadoptercreator, #creativityandtechnology, #awakencuriosity, #podmatchguest ⁠ @PodMatch_com ⁠ #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd

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Always remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich Wright

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At just 17 years old, Shanti Hershenson has written and published over 30 books — before even graduating high school. In this inspiring and deeply honest conversation with Rich Wright, Shanti opens up about her creative journey, her daily writing habit, and how she turned isolation during the pandemic into a powerful force of imagination.

In This Episode:
~ Discovering writing at age 4, falling in love with storytelling before she could even spell her name.
~ The role of her magician mom and software engineer dad in shaping her creativity.
~ How fencing, Star Wars, and fantasy worlds influenced her writing style and imagination.
~ The creation of her first 240,000-word novel, “Biome Lock”, and how she taught herself self-publishing at 12.
~ The viral explosion of “Never Dying” on TikTok that changed her career overnight.
~How Shanti uses Patreon to share her latest work, Good Kids, Bad Choices — a 1,000+ page contemporary novel written and edited entirely before college.

Why This Interview Matters:
Shanti’s story is a blueprint for the next generation of creators.She’s proof that age doesn’t define ability — discipline and imagination do. From her first sci-fi saga to her poetry novel You Won’t Know Her Name (inspired by her real experiences with bullying), Shanti blends authenticity with artistry in a way that connects deeply with readers and creators of all ages.

About Shanti Hershenson:
~ Author of 30+ published books across sci-fi, fantasy, and contemporary genres
~ Advocate for anti-bullying and environmental awareness
~ Viral BookTok creator with millions of views on #NeverDying
~ Founder of her own creative community through Patreon
~ Shanti’s latest works include Good Kids, Bad Choices and Pontus and Electra to the Depths of the Sea — poetic, thought-provoking novels that merge activism with imagination.

Connect with Shanti Hershenson:
Website: shantihershenson.com
TikTok: @shantihershenson
Patreon: patreon.com/shantihershenson
Instagram: @shantihershenson
Twitter: @shantihwrites

Be a Guest through ‪@PodMatch_com‬ :
https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery

#ShantiHershenson, #ArtistRecoveryPodcast, #ViralAuthor, #TikTokAuthor, #BookTok, #NeverDying, #1000WordsADay, #CreativeDiscipline, #WritingMotivation, #SelfPublishing, #IndieAuthor, #WritingJourney, #BullyingToBooks, #OvercomingBullying, #CreativeRecovery, #WritingInspiration, #PandemicCreativity, #CreativeTeenager, #Storytelling, #AuthorMindset, #GenZSuccess, #ViralSuccess, #TikTokWritingTips, #MotivationForWriters, #WritingEveryDay, #FemaleAuthor, #FantasyWriter, #SciFiAuthor, #SelfPublishedAuthor, #CreativeProcess, #AuthorLife, #WritingProductivity, #ViralStorytelling, #PassionToPurpose, #AuthorJourney, #CreativeResilience, #TurningPainIntoArt, #YoungNovelist, #AspiringAuthor, #ViralWritingMoment, #StudentAuthor, #CreativeDisciplineTips, #GenZAuthor, #TeenNovelist, #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd

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Always remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich Wright

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What happens when a U.S. Army Ranger turned storyteller digs deep into his ancestral roots — uncovering forgotten French-Canadian and Algonquin legends that spark an extraordinary creative rebirth?
In this powerful episode of The Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with Joseph Bolton — a West Point graduate, Afghanistan combat veteran, and author of “Old Grandmother’s Tree” — to explore how trauma, identity, and imagination can transform into art that heals both the creator and the culture it came from.
Watch this if you love:
Storytelling that blends mythology, family history & indigenous wisdom
Military-to-artist transformation stories• Deep conversations about resilience, empathy, and creativity after service
Ancestry, spirituality, and rediscovering your cultural roots

🪶 What’s Inside This Episode
04:00 – The Roots of Imagination: Growing up in Rhode Island’s French-Canadian Catholic culture, surrounded by ritual and folklore
10:00 – The Discovery: DNA tests reveal long-lost Native American ancestry, including the remarkable story of Mithyogoku, the courageous Algonquin ancestor who survived loss and became the “Old Grandmother” of thousands
20:00 – Turning Pain Into Art: How Joseph transformed historical research and personal grief into magical folk tales that honor resilience
35:00 – The Creative Spark: Writing through grief after losing his brother to ALS — and rediscovering storytelling as a lifeline
50:00 – Life Lessons From the Military: How discipline, detail, and determination learned in Ranger School shaped his artistry
1:10:00 – The Ghost Story That Almost Got Him Shot: The hilarious and shocking near-death moment in Afghanistan that became a viral favorite 1:15:00 – The Power of Ancestral Art: How reconnecting with heritage through writing can heal generations

Connect with Joseph:
https://oldgrandmotherstree.com/

Get Noticed and Be a Guest through ‪@PodMatch_com‬ :
https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery

#JosephBolton, #ArtistRecoveryPodcast, #OldGrandmothersTree, #CreativeHealing, #VeteranToArtist, #Storytelling, #Ancestry, #NativeAmericanHeritage, #FrenchCanadianRoots, #ArtisticTransformation, #Resilience, #Imagination, #MilitaryToCreativity, #PostMilitaryHealing, #EmotionalStorytelling, #Folklore, #AncestralHealing, #Identity, #Purpose, #TraumaRecovery, #Empathy, #INFJPersonality, #CreativeRebirth, #Spirituality, #CreativeProcess, #ArtistJourney, #CulturalStorytelling, #ArtAsTherapy, #AncestralWisdom, #HealingThroughArt, #CreativeResilience, #VeteranStories, #TransformationThroughCreativity, #CreativeAwakening, #IndigenousAncestry, , #StorytellingThroughTrauma, #OvercomingLoss, #AncestralConnection, #SpiritualJourney, #CreativeDiscipline, #AuthenticityInArt, #EmpathyAndCreativity, #CreativeCourage #podmatchguest @PodMatch_com #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd​

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Always remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich Wright

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