What happens when a lifelong storyteller is forced to confront his own mortality?In this powerful episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, Rich Wright sits down with musician, author, and cancer advocate Ray Hartjen — a man whose life has been shaped by movement, reinvention, and one life-altering diagnosis: multiple myeloma.Born into a military family in 1964, Ray’s childhood was marked by constant relocation — Texas, Kansas, North Dakota, Indiana, Kentucky. Each move meant new schools, new identities, new stories. Books became anchors. Libraries became sanctuaries. Storytelling became survival.From investment banking to organizational development, from marketing to corporate communications, Ray eventually realized something profound: every role he stepped into was rooted in one essential skill — telling stories that connect, heal, and move people forward.Then came the diagnosis.Multiple myeloma — a rare, incurable but treatable blood cancer — forced Ray to ask the question many creatives avoid:"If not now, when?"That question reshaped everything.He began writing more boldly. Performing music more intentionally. Creating with urgency instead of hesitation. His memoir, Me, Myself & My Multiple Myeloma, shares his candid journey through illness. His novel Flank expands his storytelling lens. His acoustic duo, The Chronic Padres, channels resilience through song. And his passion project book chronicling the Indianapolis 500 became a testament to creative endurance.In this conversation, we explore:• Growing up in a military family and how mobility shapes identity• The power of books and libraries in forming a storyteller• The moment creativity became a conscious priority• How cancer reframes time, risk, and artistic courage• Music as healing and performance as reclamation• Why storytelling is the connective tissue of business, art, and survival• The mantra “If Not Now, When” and living with urgencyThis episode is about endurance. About reinvention. About refusing to wait.It’s about what happens when life strips away illusion and leaves you with one simple truth:Your story matters — especially now.If you’re an artist navigating uncertainty…If you’ve faced illness or personal upheaval…If you’re waiting for permission to create…This conversation will meet you where you are.Connect with Ray:Website: https://rayhartjen.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rayhartjenInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rayhartjenYoutube: @RayHartjen Connect w / Rich:Website: ⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com⁠LinkedIn: @richwrightunltdInstagram: @richwrightunltdFB: @theartrecInstagram: @theartrecArtist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom#RayHartjen @RayHartjen #MultipleMyeloma #IncurableBloodCancer #artistrecoverypodcast #CancerAndCreativity #IfNotNowWhen #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #creativeresilience #podmatchguest #MusicAsHealing #ChronicIllnessWarrior #StorytellingMatters #Indy500Author #ResilienceMindset #CreativeUrgency #CancerMemoir #MusicianLife #CorporateToCreative #CancerAwareness #AuthorMusician #OvercomingAdversity @PodMatch_com #PersonalTransformation #CreativeResilience

What if the very thing you thought was holding you back… was actually shaping your voice?In this powerful episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, Rich Wright sits down with award-winning historical fiction author Teri M Brown for a deeply human conversation about shyness, identity, reinvention, motherhood, creativity, and the courage to step forward before you feel ready.

Teri’s journey didn’t begin with confidence. It began with thick glasses, middle-school insecurity, and a 13-year-old’s belief that everything would change overnight. It didn’t.But what did change over time was her ability to rewrite the narrative.

Born in Athens, Greece, raised in Ohio, and later transplanted to North Carolina, Teri discovered early that creativity was an escape — a place where she could become anyone she wanted. Books became portals. Characters became mirrors. And imagination became survival.

She would go on to:

• Publish five award-winning nonfiction books


• Ride a tandem bicycle 3,100 miles across America raising money for Toys for Tots


• Launch a second creative career in historical fiction


• Win more than 70 literary awards across multiple genres


• Publish a memoir-inspired journaling guide and a children’s book


• Mentor authors and co-host The Teri & Edith Show

But none of it happened in a straight line.In this episode, we explore:

✨ The identity shift that comes from moving states and reinventing yourself


✨ How childhood shyness still shows up in adulthood


✨ The creative power of reframing fear


✨ Why imagination can be both an escape and a superpower
✨ The difference between neurodivergence and “neurotypical” expectations


✨ The unexpected path from stay-at-home mom to award-winning novelist


✨ Why creative courage isn’t the absence of fear — it’s action in spite of it.

Teri shares candidly about failing chemistry, leaving college, becoming a bank teller, marrying a photographer, raising four children, and eventually stepping into authorship later in life — not because it was planned, but because the story demanded it.Her writing style?

She’s a “pantser” — no outline, no master plan — just intuition and trust.

Connect with Teri:

Website: https://www.terimbrown.com/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terimbrown_author

FB: https://www.facebook.com/TeriMBrownAuthor/

TY: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@TeriMBrown_Author⁩

Connect w / Rich:

Website: ⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com⁠

LinkedIn: @richwrightunltd

Instagram: @richwrightunltd

FB: @theartrec

Instagram: @theartrec

Artist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom

#richwrightunlimited #artistrecoverypodcast #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #podmatchguest ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩ #TeriMBrown #AwardWinningAuthor #HistoricalFictionAuthor #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #OvercomingShyness #LateBloomerSuccess #CreativeReinvention #WomenAuthors #WriterJourney #CreativeCourage #PantserWriter #MotherhoodToAuthor #NeurodivergentCreativity #FearOfRejection #AuthorInterview #creativeresilience #creativeidentity #artist #independentartist #author

What happens when a fenced-in yard becomes a blueprint for building culture?In this powerful episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, Rich Wright sits down with Diarra “Uncle P” Collazo — veteran entertainment consultant, DJ, entrepreneur, and founder of platforms that helped shape Detroit’s hip hop ecosystem.

Born and raised in Pontiac, Michigan, Diarra’s journey began not in boardrooms or studios — but in a fenced yard where imagination became survival. An only child guided by his great-grandmother, he learned early how to entertain himself, build worlds with Legos, and create community when none was handed to him. That instinct never left.

From high school radio at Avondale — where he was one of the first underclassmen to earn his own show — to earning a degree in Music & Entertainment Management at the Art Institute of Atlanta, Diarra immersed himself in the mechanics behind the music.While others chased record deals, he studied structure.

While others wanted fame, he wanted infrastructure.

After learning firsthand how record labels operate — and how glass ceilings are built — a pivotal piece of advice changed everything:

“If you really want to make an impact in this industry, don’t fall into someone else’s circle. Create your own.”

So he did.

Diarra launched Local Love Radio to spotlight Michigan hip hop when major stations wouldn’t.
He acquired DetroitRap.com to build digital community before social media was what it is today.
He stepped into internet radio before it was mainstream.
He became a connector, a culture builder, and the kind of leader people now call “Uncle P.”

In this conversation, we explore:

• Growing up in Pontiac during its automotive boom


• Being raised by a great-grandmother and developing discipline early


• How karate shaped his mindset around focus and responsibility


• Why most people fail in creative industries (and what separates the 11 who graduate from the 117 who start)


• The glass ceiling realities of the music business


• The difference between being a taker and being useful


• Why Detroit struggled to embrace local hip hop — and what that revealed


• The power of creating your own platform instead of waiting for validation

This isn’t just a hip hop story.

It’s a masterclass in vision, resilience, and ownership.

For creatives feeling fenced in…


For entrepreneurs trying to build community…


For artists who want longevity, not just momentary shine…

Connect with Diarra:

Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/unclep

Website: https://www.detroitrap.com

Connect w / Rich:

Website: ⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com⁠

LinkedIn: @richwrightunltd

Instagram: @richwrightunltd

FB: @theartrec

Instagram: @theartrec

Artist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom

#DiarraCollazo #UncleP #DetroitHipHop #MusicIndustry #CreativeDiscipline #BuildYourOwnPlatform #DetroitRap #LocalLoveRadio #HipHopEntrepreneur #MusicBusiness #IndependentArtist #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunlimited #artistrecoverypodcast #theartrec #MusicMentorship #CultureBuilder #CreativeLeadership #UndergroundHipHopAwards #EntertainmentConsultant #HipHopCommunity #InternetRadio #ArtistLongevity #MusicIndustryTruth