In the span of ten days, Jason Hancock lost his mother, his job, and his connection to meaningful work. So he moved to Japan and never looked back. As an actor and performer, Jason wanted to create a new stage for someone else, one that had never been done before. Special Beauty is the first beauty pageant of its kind in Japan, celebrating special needs youth with their unique and beautiful talents. Each year, participants partner with makeup artists for a runway fashion show and talent competition, and provide a platform for the youth to Sparkle.

Suuvi is not just an artist; she’s a multidisciplinary force—a renowned cello soloist, composer, and mental health advocate. In this raw and inspiring episode of Sparkle On, Devi Jags sits down with Suuvi to learn about a life built on musical excellence that came at a cost.

As a child prodigy at Juilliard, Suuvi opens up about the immense pressure of a career built on pleasing others, revealing that despite achieving massive milestones in classical music (including a Carnegie Hall debut), she felt miserable. After her breaking point, Suuvi reveals the five-year journey she undertook to confront darkness and discover who she truly was as an artist.

Through her practice with The Artist Way, and learning how to choose happiness, she found her most authentic voice (and sound) with her latest album, Dark Therapy. In the shadows, Suuvi reinvented and transformed herself, and in turn, her music.

Before you can heal, you have to be willing to look at your pain. Join host Devi Jags as she sits down with Nicole Zimmermann, a trauma-informed integral somatic coach, ceremonialist, and breathwork facilitator. Nicole was once an artist lost in the world of modeling, seeking acceptance and fitting in. She candidly shares her journey from battling addiction to a rock-bottom moment at 24 that led to a powerful realization: her body knew she needed to change before her mind did.

Nicole dives into the first steps she took to reclaim her life, and the moments that helped her realize her deepest wounds led her to her greatest purpose. Through the power of somatic healing and breathwork, Nicole reclaimed her power and shifted her whole lifestyle and career.

Her story urges us to look at the simplicity of one’s breath as a starting point to seek power in healing through the arts, the magic of rediscovering your inner child, and the importance of becoming a teacher for others on their own healing journeys.

Breathe on, and Sparkle On.