|| nickonken – Creative Alchemist ||: Recent Episodes
Nick Onken
“This was the deepest surrender I’ve ever had to give way to a medicine.” - Nick Onken
Today I am excited to share with you some takeaways from my personal plant medicine journeys in 2023 and to explain in-depth my most recent recent experience with a new plant medicine for me: the Tree of Light plant medicine. I just got back from this amazing trip to Peru and in this episode, I explain the ceremonies I took part in and talk about managing ego deaths.You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review!
“It was very subconscious. What I learned, I don’t even know; it was very in the body.” - Nick Onken
Some things we learn in this podcast:* Nick’s 2023 plant medicine recap [1:46] * What is the Tree of Light medicine [13:52 * ]Takeaways from the Tree of Light ceremony [18:22] * How to manage ego death [29:33]
Links Mentioned:* Connect with Nick on Instagram * Get your Nick Onken original hat at Onken Made
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“In this moment, are we bridging our own gaps?” - Rev. Briana Lynn
Today I continue my conversation with Reverend Briana Lynn. Last week we discussed unraveling religion from society and culture and how to avoid the pitfalls of leadership.
In this episode, Briana shares how she came to be at peace after having spent so much of her life trying to escape her own body. She argues that art is anything we interact with or participate in. She and I also discuss the importance of both celebrating the kink in each of us and avoiding the guru-fication of the self.
Listen in as we talk about learning to be okay with things as they are while also striving for personal growth.
You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review!
“The battle or the journey that we all have…is about bridging the persona and the person.” - Rev. Briana Lynn
Some things we learn in this podcast:* How does Briana define identity alchemy [4:00] * What are the dangers of adopting a persona to mask your personhood [5:54] * How to close the gap between persona and person [14:29] * When is judgment healthy [22:27] * How does Briana Lynn define narcissism [30:08] * Ways to work through Narcissistic Personality Disorder [33:31] * Can judgment be a good thing [39:58] * How to create from a place of self-expression [42:17] * Final takeaways from Briana [45:49]
Links Mentioned: Listen to Onken Radio Episode 222: Burning Religion and the Witches with Rev. Briana Lynn * Sign up for the Free Masterclass for Entrepreneurs: Go from Invisible to Influential * Connect with Reverend Briana Lynn on Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | Orgasmic Oracle Mystery School*
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“Our greatest joy comes when we are giving our purpose for the highest good of the most people that we can.” - Rev. Briana Lynn Today I talk with Reverend Briana Lynn about the journey of getting to a place of self-expression. Briana is a coach, mentor, and ceremonialist and the Founder of the Orgasmic […]
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“Your identity is a blank canvas for who you want to be.” - Nick Onken
Today I share some of the identity alchemy that I have been working on and go into detail about what it means to master ourselves. These past few years I have been going through some major changes that I talk about.
I have been doing some serious work to grow as a person and I've been searching for a partner who is on the same path. Identity alchemy and the five C's of self-mastery are helping me to get where I want to go. What do commitment, containers, and celebration have to do with becoming who are meant to be in this world? You can learn all of these things in your head, but if you’re not practicing them, they don’t get integrated into this vessel that we call our earthly body.
In this episode, I define what self-mastery actually is and share a list of the five C’s that you can implement in your own life. I also explain how to use containers and introduce my upcoming Identity Alchemy course.
You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review!
“Self-mastery is something you have to care about.” - Nick Onken
Some things we learn in this podcast:* What does it mean to master oneself [3:37] * What are the five C’s of self-mastery [5:23] * How is Nick working towards mastering himself [7:05] * What are containers [7:52] * What is Nick’s Identity Alchemy course [12:33]
The Five C's of Self-Mastery:1. Care and awareness 2. Commitment 3. Containers 4. Consistency 5. Celebration
Links Mentioned:* Listen to Onken Radio Episode 215: The Statistical Importance of Building Your Personal Brand with AJ Vaden * Connect with Nick on Instagram
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“Like a lot of men, I was convinced that nothing would change until I hit rock bottom.” - Connor Beaton
Today, serial guest Connor Beaton and I discuss what it means to be a good, healthy, grounded, and responsible man. In this episode, Connor opens up about his own personal journey to manhood and explains how he reconciled his relationship with men. We also unpack men’s complicated relationship with porn and talk about the roots of that relationship.
Listen in as Connor and I explore the shadows of men’s psyches, break down the patterns of arousal, and discuss his new book.
You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review!
“When we are in some kind of pursuit of developing ourselves we are more fulfilled.” - Connor Beaton
Some things we learn in this podcast:* What is men’s work [4:29] * How does work spill over into relationships [6:56] * What is the end goal of men’s work [10:46] * Connor’s journey with men’s work [13:40] * What are some key takeaways from Connor’s book [20:26] * Is Connor’s new book also for women [33:05] * Which topics are covered in Connor's new book [35:25] * What effect does porn have on men [43:06] * How to understand male arousal [48:14] * What does sexual mastery look like [59:13]
Links Mentioned:* Listen to Onken Radio Episode 129: Connor Beaton – How Personal Growth Catalyzes Your Creativity * Listen to Onken Radio Episode 200: Creating Together in Partnership with Vienna Pharaon and Connor Beaton * Get your copy of Men's Work by Connor Beaton * Learn more about Onken Made
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Having created images for some of the world’s global brands like Nike, Reebok, Coca-Cola, Justin Bieber, Jessica Alba, Cosmopolitan magazine just to name a few, I’ve learned a lot about the process, and how to create on that level. My images have been on billboards, major print magazines, and every seen place you can imagine. I’ve been taking the things I’ve learned from shooting for these brands and celebrities and translating them over into the personal brand realm.“High-Quality” images are not just the technical side, the resolution is a baseline, but really is the story being told in the photograph, the lighting, the coloring, the authenticity of the talent, the locations, the clothing etc. I shoot in a style that I call “Elevated Realism” that is aspirational yet relatable. The world of personal branding is constantly evolving and as a result, standing out has become increasingly challenging. With so many people vying for attention, it's crucial to make your mark in a way that truly sets you apart. Enter high-quality images, the key to unlocking the full potential of your personal brand and generating more revenue.In a fast-paced digital world, visual content is processed 60,000 times faster than text. It's no wonder that images have become a powerful tool for businesses and individuals alike to convey their message, showcase their products and services, and build a connection with their target audience. When it comes to personal branding, using high-quality images can be the difference between blending in with the crowd and standing out as a leader in your industry.If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I build my personal brand?” This is one important that will help you accelerate your personal brand growth and perception. It will collapse time in your personal brand journey.Identity Alchemy: Transforming Your Personal Brand Through ImagesYour personal brand is the unique combination of skills, values, and experiences that define who you are and what you have to offer. By leveraging high-quality images, you can take your personal brand to the next level and elevate it to the status of an alchemist. Identity alchemy is the process of transforming your brand into something that is not only memorable, but also creates a connection with your audience that generates revenue.Here are the key benefits of using high-quality images in your personal brand and how they contribute to identity alchemy:1: Builds Trust and Increases Perception of ValueThe use of high-quality images in your personal brand immediately communicates that you are a professional who takes their work seriously. When your visuals are polished and attention-grabbing, your audience is more likely to trust that you know what you're doing and that you're offering a product or service of value. By demonstrating your expertise and commitment, you increase the perception of your personal brand and make it more appealing to potential clients or customers.2: Captures Attention and Engages Your AudienceHigh-quality images capture attention and engage your audience like no other form of content. They allow you to tell a visual story that connects with your target audience and draws them in. When you use eye-catching images, you increase the likelihood that people will stop scrolling and take a closer look at your brand. This engagement can lead to increased traffic, higher conversion rates, and ultimately, more revenue.3: Establishes Your Brand IdentityHigh-quality images are an effective way to establish your personal brand identity and create a lasting impression. By incorporating your unique visual style and aesthetic into your images, you reinforce your brand messaging and create a cohesive visual story. This consistent and memorable brand identity sets you apart from the competition and makes it easier for your target audience to recognize and remember you.4: Shows Your Authenticity and PersonalityUsing high-quality images in your personal brand allows you to showcase your personality and authenticity in a way that text simply can't. By sharing images that represent your values, interests, and personality, you give your audience a glimpse into who you really are. This connection helps build trust and creates a stronger bond with your target audience, leading to increased revenue5: The connection we make with people through photographs is rooted in science.Here's a look at the reasons behind why images have such a powerful impact on our emotions and behavior:1. Stimulates the Brain: Visual information is processed faster than text, and images stimulate multiple areas of the brain, including the visual cortex, which is responsible for processing visual information. This stimulation creates a deeper connection with the image and can evoke emotions and memories. 2. Evokes Emotions: Studies have shown that images have the power to evoke emotions in a way that text cannot. For example, images of happy faces can trigger feelings of happiness, while images of sadness can trigger feelings of empathy. This emotional connection with images can help build trust and increase engagement with your personal brand. 3. Provides Context: Images provide context and help us understand information in a way that text alone cannot. For example, an image of a product in use provides context and a better understanding of how it works than a simple description. This increased understanding can help build trust in your brand and increase the likelihood of a sale. 4. Facilitates Memory Retention: Images are more likely to be remembered than text alone. When we see an image, the brain stores it as a memory, making it easier to recall in the future. This increased recall ability can lead to increased brand recognition and ultimately, more revenue.
At the end of the day, using high-quality images in your personal brand is crucial to standing out and generating more revenue. By transforming your brand into a visual powerhouse through identity alchemy, you can build trust, capture attention, establish your brand identity, and show your authenticity and personality. So, don't underestimate the power of visual storytelling, invest in high-quality images, and see the difference for yourself.Interested in learning how to create personal visual brand identity that is aligned with who you truly are? Click here to learn.If you’re ready to create high quality images for your personal brand with me, you can apply to book a shoot with me here. The post Why using high quality images in your personal brand generates more revenue appeared first on || nickonken - Creative Alchemist ||.
“I’m really interested in activating a collective sovereign awakening in this lifetime for humanity.” - Kaia Ra
Today I talk about channeling our divine creativity with author Kaia Ra. Kaia says that creativity wants to self-heal, expand, and regenerate and that we can prepare ourselves as vessels for this process by facing our trauma head-on. In this episode, Kaia and I talk about normalizing and accessing the psychic gifts inside each of us. We also define the divine genome and discuss how resonance re-sculpts reality.You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review!
“We were bred for our gifts and specifically for our psychic gifts and creativity.” - Kaia Ra
Some things we learn in this podcast:* What was Kaia Ra’s path to creativity [3:42] * How to define Kaia’s psychic abilities [14:37] * Ways to access our psychic abilities [17:06 * ]Tips for spiritual protection [23.45] * What is the divine genome [27:00] * Unpacking the teachings of the original masters [34:31] * What are some belief systems about interstellar religions [43:50] * Kaia’s healing journey [46:33] * How Kaia got started making jewelry [48:49] * Why is there a divine feminine and a divine masculine [54:05]
Links Mentioned:* Sign up for five free days of the Identity Alchemy course * Get your copy of The Sophia Code: A Living Transmission from The Sophia Dragon Tribe by Kaia Ra
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“How we feel, move, and be in life directly affects our business.” - Nick Onken In this episode, I offer up a list of the best business tools for entrepreneurs that I have learned over the past few years. Listen in as I explain how our mindset affects our business. I share the morning routine […]
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“We can all be polyamorous.” - Meleza Morris I am going through a phase of exploring my sexuality, so today I talk with Meleza Morris, an intimacy coach and intimacy coordinator for television and film, about love, sex, tantra, gender-bending, and more. In this episode, Meleza breaks down ethical non-monogamy, conscious non-monogamy, and consensual non-monogamy […]
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Hey guys, welcome back. Today, I’m talking about how you can make the most of your personal branding photoshoot. If you’ve been with me for a while, you know that photoshoots for me are the culmination of the Identity Alchemy process. This process is all about transformation, how we can shed layers of our personality […]
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“It takes courage to be able to do plant medicine.” - Nick Onken I am flying high after my last retreat in Tulum, Mexico, and today I am sharing my experience with not only my own personal metamorphosis through the guided use of plant medicines but also co-hosting one of these powerful events for the […]
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Did you know that 64% of Americans are more likely to buy from you if you have an established personal brand? How about the fact that 60% of people see testimonials as the most important factor in who they buy from? In one of my latest episodes, I got even more insight into how necessary […]
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“People are following people more than companies more than ever before.” - AJ Vaden Hey guys, welcome back to ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio), the podcast where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. It’s my goal to help you take your creativity, business, and life to the next level. I’m […]
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Stay tuned for the onken Light Code NFT drop. https://onken.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/onken_LIGHTCODE_YinYangCreation.mp4
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“Are psychedelics the Google Maps to the kingdom of heaven?” - Brian Muraresku Hello and welcome to another episode of ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio), the podcast where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. I’m so glad you’re joining me on this journey because it’s my goal to help you […]
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“Create your moments.” - Nick Onken Hello, my fellow alchemists! Nick Onken here for our last solo episode of 2021 on ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio), the podcast where we explore the soul, mind, and body of the creative entrepreneur. Today, I'm going to recap 11 things that I learned this year. 2021 has been […]
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“It’s an in-your-face moment.” - Nick Onken Hello, my friends! Welcome to another episode of the OnkenRadio podcast (previously NION Radio), where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. It’s my goal to help you take your creativity, business, and life to the next level. I’m so glad you’re joining me […]
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“All of these things around joy and pleasure are so penalized and stymied in this country for the business of capitalism.” - Grace Harry Welcome back to ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio), the podcast where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. It's my goal to help you take your creativity, […]
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“You have to allow the messiness and the struggle.” - East Forest What’s up, my fellow earthlings? Welcome back to ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio), a space where we explore the worlds of creativity, consciousness, and everything else in between. My goal is to help you optimize your life and to unleash your full potential, […]
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“Follow your feels.” - Nick Onken Welcome back to ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio) — the podcast where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. It’s my goal to help you take your creativity, business, and life to the next level. I’m so glad you’re joining me on this journey. Today, […]
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“Whose story was I living?” - BLU Hey, fellow earthlings! Welcome back to ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio), the podcast where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. It’s my goal to help you take your creativity, business, and life to the next level. I’m so glad you’re joining me on […]
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“Our ego is our teammate.” - Nick Onken Hello my fellow alchemists! I’m your host, Nick Onken, and we're back with another solo episode of the ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio), the podcast where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. Today. I'm going to talk more about identity alchemy, and […]
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“I have made a conscious decision to evolve without pain.” - Maejor
Hello, my friends! Welcome to another episode of the Onken Radio podcast (previously NION Radio), the podcast where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. It’s my goal to help you take your creativity, business, and life to the next level. I’m so glad you’re joining me on this journey!
Today, I’m excited about my special guest and music master, Maejor. I really wanted to have him on because he is all about frequency and healing the world through frequency in his music. He’s produced albums and songs for Justin Bieber and is also a leukemia survivor.
All these things have given him a unique perspective on life, making him a great guest to talk to about the alchemy of life. We will also share with you his mission to heal the world through frequency by creating all of his music in 432 Hertz and other healing frequencies.
Here’s a quick taste of what’s to come from my interview with Maejor:
“I believe this year has been a rebirth in many ways for myself [and] for a lot of people. How can I use this moment in this time in the best way to give love? I’ve made a conscious decision now to evolve without pain.” - Maejor
Maejor is a quality guy who feels deeply connected and has the greatest heart. In my opinion, I think most people that reach his level of success live in a different world — one that’s not tapped into what most people experience. What I really appreciate about Maejor is he’s still tapped in and because of that is challenging his own creativity to be a light in the world for healing. Who Is Maejor? Brandon Michael Green, known by his stage name Maejor, is an American record producer, singer, and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. Maejor has written and produced songs for several prominent artists in the music industry — most extensively Justin Bieber — and is half of the EDM (Electronic Dance Music) duo Area21 alongside Dutch DJ Martin Garrix.
In honor of Maejor’s grandmother, Edna Mae, who passed away, he used her name in the spelling of Maejor because of the closeness of their relationship and her impact on his life.
Maejor has been producing music from the age of 17, and it’s been his focus ever since.
“I always had a vision that I was going to do something very positive and impactful for the world — I don’t know where that came from. I just had that thought when I was a kid.” - Maejor
As Maejor’s career progressed, big names started noticing him in the industry. Part of his vision for making an impact in the world was to create centers that teach underprivileged kids music. However, this plan always felt like something “down the line” that he was going to do. The success in his twenties led him to rapidly build on the momentum he was creating until he was dealt a devastating blow.
“I got leukemia when I was in my twenties. [I thought] ‘Whoa, this is pretty crazy — what does that mean?’ I never [even] knew that word, I never [even] knew what that was. My timeline switched [from] ‘something I’m going to do [in] 20 years’ to ‘who knows [if] I’m going to be around [in] 20 years?’ What could I do now?” - Maejor
Maejor’s second chance has given him a different perspective on life and how to create an impact in the world using his music. It’s a great honor to bring you his story and dive into the creative process that he’s developed. Maejor’s connectedness to the world we live in and journey through spirituality made this a magical interaction.
Let’s jump straight in! How to Remain Present The past year has created chaos in most people’s lives, and while it’s easy to say things like “Be more present,” putting that into practice when the world feels like it’s collapsing around us is another story. Maejor shares how he remains present and what he does to create space to hear messages tapping him from the universe.
“One thing that’s helping me is a regular meditation practice. Something about it made me realize that the growth in anything comes in the consistency and not the intensity. Before, I would [tell myself,] ‘I’m going to meditate two hours a day or an hour.’ I would try to supercharge myself into this state. Now, I do 20 minutes [twice] a day every day. By constantly putting in the intention of ‘this is where I’m headed’ and revisiting that intention daily, you’re going to make progress.” - Maejor
Maejor’s focus on consistency translated into practicing piano too, previously trying to learn a song by cramming. Instead, he mimics his meditation practice and commits to an amount of time every day no matter what.
“I’m seeing a lot of growth — my fullness and my presence are growing by that consistency, which is something that’s so easy and simple, but that’s the truth.” - Maejor
I mentioned earlier that Maejor is still tapped-in even though he has attained great success — I now understand why after hearing his next daily practice. Staying Grateful Gratitude has been a practice of mine for a while, and I try to practice that state and live in a state of prayer and gratitude as I move through the day asking for magic. Maejor also practices gratitude daily as part of his routine.
“I wake up and [think], ‘What could I be thankful for?’ [I believe] gratitude [and] a grateful heart is a magnet for miracles. … I feel like it’s the same with our lives, [and] the more grateful we are, we call blessings in.” - Maejor
Maejor is spot on, but again, hearing about gratitude sounds wonderful when things are going well — what about when things are rough? All of us struggle to find a way to be grateful for a negative experience while we are in it.
“Even through this year, finding gratitude in unexpected things is key because I was supposed to do many trips and performances. I had to think, ‘How can I be grateful for that?’ This pandemic caused me to miss [everything, but] it also gave me time to do other things. Even though [my travels] didn’t happen, thank you that I’m able to be here with you talking right now. Perhaps had those other things happened, [talking with you now] wouldn’t have happened. That may be a catalyst for many others hearing this [because] I feel the more grateful we are, the more life flows beautifully.” - Maejor
There are no mistakes — everything is a gift, but getting to a place that creates the perspective to see that everything is a gift with gratitude is a lot of work and doesn’t just happen overnight. Tying back to what Maejor said earlier about building consistency as opposed to intensity, consistency will allow you to view past experiences with a different lens and start living out of surrender. Just like Maejor, the more I practice surrendering to the universe and the flow of magic — the more beautiful life becomes. Maejor’s Journey With Music A pivotal moment was a show in Mexico City where the majority of the hundred-thousand-plus sized crowd spoke Spanish and yet people were singing in English — words that Maejor remembers writing alone in a room.
“I knew that the music was reaching people, but to see [them singing showed me] that I’m connecting with them [even when] they don’t speak the same language. But for whatever reason, because of the power of the frequency in this music — we’re all on the same vibe right now. It led me to [realize], ‘Wow, music is a universal language.’ Traveling the world, [I watched] people dancing to music that I couldn’t speak to through words — [but] I could speak to them through music.” - Maejor
Maejor’s realization began a new journey with music to make a positive impact through the words in his songs. However, putting positive uplifting words into his music had the opposite effect. Instead of helping people as he’d hoped, for whatever reason, Maejor’s sales dropped.
“I was producing normal pop mainstream music you would hear on the radio, and [uplifting lyrics] wasn’t necessarily what that audience was looking for. I got frustrated with that [and] depressed and thought, ‘I have this purpose that I see so clear — to reach all these people — but when I try it’s not connecting in the same way. What is happening?’” - Maejor
Maejor’s honesty here is refreshing, and just because we know what our path to create is doesn’t automatically mean it’s going to be an easy road. As we just heard — it can be more confusing and challenging than we realize. What I love about this story is that Maejor didn’t default back to what people bought and instead focused on what he could do to turn that around.
Synchronistically, Maejor started meeting scientists and different people in the spiritual community and began learning about the power of frequency and sound through a friend who was an ex-monk. Maejor’s friend taught him about the power behind each mantra and the unique frequency within designed to change your state of consciousness — it’s not just random songs.
“I started seeing [that] sound has a lot of power. I learned about resonance, and I went to Machu Picchu with this group called Resonance Science — these ancient civilizations knew about sound therapy. Then we went to the pyramids in Egypt [where] they measured and did everything with sound frequency. I started seeing this stuff is real and I noticed that I felt almost chosen. I was in a unique spot where I was in my world of pop, rap, and electronic music and there was very little talk about these things and the effect of the sound and frequency.” - Maejor
Maejor’s travels to ancient sites where the healing impact of sound was understood gave him his next brainwave: why not use frequency in his music to connect with his audience?
“What if I could just alter the frequency of the music to give the [inspirational] message and uplift through the frequency and have lyrics that are not necessarily preaching to someone? Speaking through the music [has] been one synchronistic journey after another [as] everything keeps unfolding because I keep meeting the right people.” - Maejor
Maejor is bridging the gap between the two worlds, but he respectfully says he didn’t create anything new because sound healing has been around for thousands of years. However, Maejor is a pioneer as he blends an ancient understanding of frequency with his own creative process to produce modern music. The Formula for Identity Alchemy As a fellow creative, I always love to unpack what my guests’ creative process looks like, especially in Maejor’s case as he builds a song.
“The best [songs] are downloads. It’s almost like I hear it playing in another realm, and then [I] translate it here. I really don’t take credit for it, of course, you have to spend a lot of time working on a craft to be able to take what you hear and bring it [here]. I think that all great artists are seeing or hearing something that others don’t that may be slightly outside of our range and bring it into a way that many people can enjoy it. It’s not really my creation — it’s more [like] I’m a vessel for it to exist in this realm.” - Maejor
I love how he describes the process and how important it is to practice the process in order to be ready as a clearer vessel in the creation of a song. The more time we work on our creative expression and experiment — the greater chance we give ourselves to create the space for creation to move through us like a download.
What makes Maejor’s work even more special is that the world needs to be healed by frequency. I want to take a moment to acknowledge Maejor for the big impact he’s making in the world with his music and how he is as a person. If you’d like to listen to his music or connect with Maejor you can find him on YouTube, Instagram, or his website.
Thank you so much for joining me today, guys. I hope you enjoyed this episode on frequencies — if you did, please screenshot it and post it to Instagram and tag Maejor, @maejor, and me, @nickonken. And if you’ve got time, leave me a review on Apple Podcasts. I’d love to hear your feedback.
Today’s episode had extra special meaning for me because if I wasn’t a photographer, I would be a DJ. I recently started learning, and it’s been a blast getting into house music, deep house, melodic house, Afro-house and just having loads of fun. I’ve put together some mixes which you can find on SoundCloud, where all my previous podcasts are as well.
I’ve been helping entrepreneurs build their personal brands through photography, graphics, and visuals. Through that has come the identity alchemy course that we’re coming out with here in a few weeks. If you want to learn more about identity alchemy and building your personal brand through visuals, you can DM me the words Identity Alchemy on Instagram at Nick Onken, and I’ll put you on the list to keep you updated.
Also, if you haven’t checked out Onken Hats yet, they’re custom hats that I’ve been making for people, which is a new endeavor of mine. It’s been a lot of fun and people are loving them.
I’ll catch you guys next time — now go live the creative lives you were meant for.
Nick Onken
You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review!
“Messages for us are given first in a whisper.” - Maejor
Some things we learn in this podcast: * How to remain present [3:40] * How to set intentions [4:30] * How to stay grateful [7:00] * What was Maejor’s childhood like [22:30] * How to be less judgmental [26:00] * How to navigate your spirituality [27:00] * How do mantras work [35:35] * What can we learn from the pyramids [41:00] * How do sound frequencies heal [42:00] * What was the Music Standardization Act [46:30] * Do colors have frequencies [53:00]
Links Mentioned: * Get your copy of The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life's Perfection by Michael A. Singer * Check out Nick Onken on Soundcloud * Listen to Onken Radio Episode 203: What is Identity Alchemy?
Connect with Maejor on Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Maejor
The post 206: Maejor – Healing the World Through Music Frequency appeared first on || nickonken - Creative Alchemist ||.
“Nick was such a huge part of capturing the beauty of our relationship.” - E11even
Hello friends! Welcome back to ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio), the podcast where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. It’s my goal to help you take your creativity, business, and life to the next level. I’m so glad you’re joining me on this journey.
Today, I’m excited to bring to you another episode with my dear friend, Eleven. We chatted in Episode 204 about their transition to non-binary. As a follow-up, we both decided to create another podcast that dives deep into how our relationship has progressed since we first met in 2013.
We’ve been able to explore different spaces in our lives as friends, creative collaborators, and Eleven’s even been a muse for me, my photography, and ONKEN hats. Today’s episode is all about blurring the lines between the muse and the artist as we explore beyond friendship. Let me just give you a little preview here:
“We’re dealing with sexual identity and identity alchemy and it makes a lot of different processes. [Throw in] a kindred relationship with best friends [and we are] blurring the lines between the artists and the music in a really potent and powerful way.” - Eleven
Through all of our experiences, we’ve remained friends. As our friendship deepens, we wanted to share that journey with you while challenging ourselves and our friendship in a space of vulnerability. It’s a powerful episode I hope you find value in as well, so let’s go! Who is Eleven? Growing up as Lynette Cenee, Eleven was raised in a world blended between religion and stage magic, with parents that were both involved in the church, as well as practicing magicians. This provided a pathway to growing up as a performer and developing a keen understanding of hair and makeup to create all the glitz and glamor needed on stage.
“I found myself living in LA and getting cast to be the hair and makeup [person] for some really incredible projects. I felt very conflicted, because I grew up on stage as the talent, and then found myself behind the scenes thinking, ‘Okay, this is great [but] I really want to be the one that people are preparing to be on screen.’ I just needed to believe I’m worthy of it, and decided to start seeking outside of being the hair and makeup [person], and seeking casting calls to be the talent.” - Eleven
Choosing to focus on being in front of the camera again led to an opportunity to be cast on a new TV show that required hair and makeup professionals on camera as experts. Participants would be given help to launch a new YouTube channel with a whole production company behind them, as well as a team of 13 people to manage all the social media components. That’s what launched the career of Lynette Cenee — the name Eleven was given at birth — for the next 10 years.
The show focused on creating different beauty videos while also telling Eleven’s story transparently online, which included their marriage in 2015. It was a challenging relationship requiring a lot of alchemy to work through. It was after deciding to leave the marriage though that Eleven was invited to visit Peru.
“I had been feeling the call towards doing deeper plant medicine work with ayahuasca. This whole evolution began in 2018, and it’s been this wild journey into this space of psychedelic Renaissance and deeper work and a whole new transition. A new avatar kind of made its way through the process and now I am identifying as Eleven — a non-binary cosmic being, and it feels more myself. I’ve never felt this authentic and true, and it feels great.” - Eleven
Each step along Eleven’s journey to becoming the person they are now has built upon the lessons they’ve learned at each growth stage. Nick and Eleven’s Backstory Eleven and I were first introduced on set in 2013 when our mutual friend Scooter hired us for the Teen Vogue photoshoot of Tori Kelly. Eleven said:
“I remember this whole thing about, ‘Oh, Nick Onken is literally one of my favourite photographers,’ and being intimidated to meet you. Then I walked on set and you were so chill. I was [so grateful because] photographers can be quite mean.” - Eleven
I’ve always wanted everyone to have a good time on set. Our jobs are already fun, why not make it more fun? Creating space for everyone to have fun opened the door for us to exchange numbers.
We soon discovered we had a lot in common. We had both attended M.I.T.T. workshops — Mastery In Transformational Training, an educational program designed for generating breakthroughs in the most crucial aspects of your life. Later, we went on a few dates to explore our connection.
Eleven had reservations about dating me because I didn’t live in LA — which, in their mind, was a deal-breaker. For me though, I already worked in LA every other week, so getting to the city simply felt like a six-hour commute.
Back then, Eleven was a practicing Christian. It reminded me about my own wounds from an upbringing in the church — a church I didn’t want to belong to anymore. Growing up with so much oppression and judgment in the church, I felt as though the average Christian promoted “unconditional conditional love.” That kind of ended my desire to explore a dating relationship with Eleven any further.
“I just remember you kissing me, but it was just this little [peck], and then we walked away, and there were no hard feelings. We didn’t talk that much for years.” - Eleven
It’s interesting for us to look back on our beginnings and hear the full story from the other’s perspective. Thankfully, our paths were destined to cross again. How We Reconnected After several years following our paths spiritually, personally, and professionally, Eleven responded to a post of mine on Instagram, leading to a catch-up. That was roughly two years ago, and although I was no longer spending much time in LA, we talked for hours on FaceTime, deep-diving into everything from conspiracy theories to creative ideas, and exploring cosmic ideas. Eleven was dating Emmy, and going through their own personal journey of transitioning into non-binary.
“Nick was a huge part of capturing the beauty of our relationship, [shooting] these gorgeous photos of us. He was also there to hold space for me when I was crying when we broke up. [Nick became] one of my closest humans as I processed everything.” - Eleven
On the other side of this, I was on a love adventure meeting someone with this deep crazy chemistry that I’d never felt before and had to move through letting go of her a couple of times. Eleven was there for me, too, during those difficult times. We were able to hold space for each other and talk deeply about processing our emotions and what we were learning from our experiences.
Not only that, but Eleven played an instrumental role in helping me alchemize my role of being an Asian American. Flipping the Script on Being an Asian American Male I wrote an article where you can read about this topic in greater depth, but I explored the idea that Asian males in American culture are not seen as sexy and iconic. I’ve done more research into it and found that this was what Bruce Lee was trying to break in Hollywood before he died. He fought against the fact that Asian men were always seen as either the Kung Fu masters or the funny man — there were no iconic Asian males or household names as sexy role models back then. I don’t feel much has changed.
“On a trip to my house in Joshua tree I remember sitting with you at the food place [on the crossroads], and you were moving through the story of an Asian American male not being somebody, or an archetype, that people are super celebratory [of]. … I’m part Chinese, so I think I had a very tender spot when I would see you stuck in that story. My uncles that raised me [experienced] racism growing up in Mexico, so when I saw that story running through your script, I thought, ‘Oh hell no, I’m not going to stand for this one. Nick, you are sexy.” - Eleven
I really appreciated this expression from Eleven. I’d just discovered how vastly different my dating app experience was compared with my white male friends’. I’ve subsequently deleted all of them because statistically, Asian men and black women are the least “swiped right”. When we were in Joshua tree, my research was fresh in my mind, so Eleven’s words helped me think about how to flip the script.
“I think you, being an architect, and then having other friends like Everett, where you guys are co-creating the new narrative, is inspiring and encouraging for me because you guys are samurai and so hot, and it’s going to be so cool to watch this script being flipped.” - Eleven
As Asian males exploring how we can inspire and create more inner alchemy for other Asian males out there, Eleven is acting as a muse for our inner alchemy to flow. Exploring Deeper Connections Eleven was chatting with their business partner and sister Kat Ross about me. At some point in the conversation, she asked, “What’s up with you and Nick?” Eleven initially protested “He’s my best friend,” but that started to shift with a different question.
“[Kat] goes, ‘Well, what would happen if it wasn’t just that?’ I honestly hadn’t even picked that up. I was obviously still dealing with the Emmy thing, but I didn’t know how to answer the question. Then I had two IPA beers and called you. … ‘Hey, I just want you to know I’m open to all possibilities at all times.’” - Eleven
My initial reaction was, “What does that mean?” It wasn’t even on my radar, especially because they had expressed being more interested in women than men, which is still true now. I had to process what Eleven said, and explore what I wanted — realizing I was open to it too.
We planned a trip to Sedona with no expectations of where this exploration would lead, and I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is being able to talk openly about everything with each other and everyone involved in our orbits — that’s been interesting and challenging.
I had no expectations, especially considering we’ve talked in-depth about Eleven’s feelings with the masculine and feeling safe. I’ve been very cautious in a dance of discovering what’s comfortable, what’s not, and asking: “How are you feeling?”
It was beautiful, and I enjoyed it, and felt very connected with Eleven. We have all this creative chemistry, and to have this extra little layer on top of it felt really good.
“It did, and I think my hesitation was, and what we’re working through currently is, I had been in a fixed space where I was only dating females. I hadn’t really entertained any sort of experience with the masculine in years. ... I’ve had dear guy friends where I knew if I ever opened it up, they would definitely be open to that. But I always kept very strong boundaries around that, so this is the first time ever that I’ve done this.” - Eleven
Eleven wanted to make sure that, not only would they not hurt my heart, they’d also be avoiding past patterns where they’d put others’ hearts ahead of their own.
This is when I could feel that Eleven was pulling back a bit. The Formula for Creative Alchemy After exploring, Eleven realized they felt the most authentic when exploring sexually with those that identify as queer. Since Sedona, there has been this unspoken feeling I had from Eleven, but I wasn’t hearing it. It didn’t feel good, because there was still an openness to whatever we were exploring, without the clarity of hearing it from Eleven.
I’m grateful for the experience, and I definitely think this has all helped my own creative process by exploring the lines of deeper communication more transparently. I’m learning to speak more of my truth versus succumbing to what other people want or trying to please them.
“We stayed up late last night to dive into this. And this morning, I asked, ‘So how’s your heart feeling?’” - Eleven
I’m in a place where the messaging is crystal clear, but I’m processing and practicing the art of letting go — something that’s been a bit of a theme this year. It’s very easy in these scenarios to start creating a false story like, “I’m not good enough” or “not queer enough” — something I might feel for a hot second, but what is the story I choose to write and tell myself? I can choose healing, growth, and focus on the future and possibility.
Thank you so much for joining me today, guys. I hope you enjoyed this episode of deep reflection and vulnerability of our journey — if you did, please screenshot it and post it to Instagram and tag me, @nickonken and Eleven, @iamelevenxx. And if you’ve got time, leave me a review on Apple Podcasts. I’d love to hear your feedback.
I’ve been helping entrepreneurs build their personal brands through photography, graphics, and visuals. Through that has come the identity alchemy course that we’re coming out with here in a few weeks. If you want to learn more about identity alchemy and building your personal brand through visuals, you can DM me the words Identity Alchemy on Instagram at Nick Onken, and I’ll put you on the list to keep you updated.
Also, if you haven’t checked out Onken Hats yet, they’re custom hats that I’ve been making for people, which is a new endeavor of mine. It’s been a lot of fun and people are loving them.
I’ll catch you guys next time — now go live the creative lives you were meant for.
Nick Onken You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review!
“I’m putting Edie Sedgwick and David Bowie in a blender.” - E11even
Some things we learn in this podcast: * How did Nick and E11even meet [1:10] * What is the dynamic between the artist and the muse [25:30] * Why should we seek discomfort [30:00] * How to navigate consent [47:45] * How to navigate expectations in relationships [48:00] * How to let go [49:20]
Links Mentioned: * Listen to Onken Radio Episode 204: Eleven - Transitioning to Non-Binary * Read What The Racism of Being Overlooked Feels Like by Nick Onken * Get your copy of Untamed by Glennon Doyle * Get your custom Onken Hat
Connect with E11even on Instagram | The Soul InitiationThe post 205: Onken & Eleven – Blurring the Lines Between Artist and Muse appeared first on || nickonken - Creative Alchemist ||.
