Matt Marr and I hit it off right from the start. I feel so lucky to have him on the show to share all about how you can connect with your muse and lead a breakthrough life. Matt is an actor, stand up comedian, host of the Dear Mattie Show, a narrative therapist, acting coach, and one of the founders of Camp Brave Trails, which is a summer leadership camp for LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans-gendered Queer) youth.
For Matt, joy and muse and connection are all one in the same. Matt shares about his early love of story, and how he discovered his passion and muse in narrative therapy.
I love that he’s working with a group that creates a camp for LGBTQ youth. We talk a lot about how camp can provide young people with empowering and formative experiences, and it’s really amazing to hear Matt talk about the impact Brave Trails has had the LGBTQ youth that attend the camp, when the week or two at camp is sometimes the first time they’ve felt embraced for all of who they are.
Matt and I also talk about how well meaning and LGBTQ friendly people can start conversations about gender and which pronouns to use for someone, even if the conversation might feel uncomfortable. And, he shares about his work with bullies and bullying. And throughout, Matt shares about how he’s followed his muse and joy, and an authentic, multipassionate, breakthough life that inspires and empowers others.
Here is what Matt and I talk about:
– Matt’s earliest joys, watching the musical Oklahoma at age 8
– What he does now: after receving a masters in clinical psychology, he is a founder at Camp Brave Trails, an actor, stand up comedian, narrative therapist, and podcast host
– how a break up with a friend and business partner led Matt to look for his muse, which led him to podcasting
– how seeing the story of a gay man with a family and dog on Oprah inspired Matt as a boy, and allowed him to see what could be for for his future
– how Camp Brave Trails got started, and it’s mission to provide a place for LGBTQ (or, as Matt calls them, Rainbow) Youth to see that they are incredible people who have the ability to impact their community and change the world
– Camp Brave Trails is focused on leadership, and offers programs such as a drag class, an LGBTQ history program, service projects for the youth to take back to their community
– why camp is important for all children, as it helps them learn independence and life skills not taught anywhere else
– how to know what to say, or what terminology to use for LGBTQ if you want to be inclusive and accepting, but don’t know where to start- Matt says it’s all about intention
– how to make change that sticks, from LGBTQ rights and awareness, to Black Lives Matter to Women’s Pay Equality
– what we can do about bullying, based on Matt’s research involving LGBTQ youth and Public Narrative (which involves story of self, the shared story (story of us), and then the story of “now” or story of urgency.) Often bringing youth who are bullied, and those who bully together (with a moderator), they discover that they have a similar story
– how to help someone who has been bullied
– we discuss how the way we punish people in the US (from prisons, to schools)
– how finding a shared story with someone will help you if you are facing bullying
– What joy means to Matt, and how joy has been a central part of his life
– the impact of having choice in a situation, even in the hardest times, and how gratitude can change lives
– Matt’s thoughts on balance and how to jumpstart your joy
Matt Marr’s podcast site
Camp Brave Trails website
Marshall Ganz, Public Narrative
Books Mentioned in this Episode (includes affiliate links to Amazon):
Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way
Dan Savage, it Gets Better
Elie Wiesel, Night
Daily Abundance (Matt’s inspiration for starting a gratitude journal)
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