Dr. Austin Dean Ashford, a brand-new Indianapolis transplant, multi-disciplinary creative, and performer at this year’s Chreece festival, talks about hip hop as community practice, why festivals matter to the city, how creativity builds connection, and why you shouldn’t forget the doctor.

Tap in with the Dr.: https://www.austindeanashford.com/bio

Artists on Chreece is a series of conversations with artists about their experience with the festival, their musical stylings, and more, from Chreece Media Day. Shout out to the Chreece team for having us.

Subscribe to the newsletter (out Mondays): https://patrickintheworld.substack.com/

Full archives: https://conversationpiecepod.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/conversationpiecepod/

Produced and hosted by: Patrick Armstrong

Filmed and edited by: Mike Lee Productions + Apicem Studios

• (00:00) - — Introductions
• (00:21) - — Becoming a Transplant
• (00:39) - — Discovering Chreece
• (00:54) - — First Time at Chreece
• (01:26) - — Why Chreece Matters
• (02:03) - — What Hip Hop Gives Us
• (02:22) - — The Performance
• (02:40) - — What He Brings to the Stage
• (03:13) - — Why You Should Pull Up
• (03:33) - — How to Support

On this episode of The Open Door, self-advocacy strategist Nora Elder stops by the studio to explore what self-advocacy truly means, how core values shape our decisions, and how Nora’s “Choose the Marble” practice helped her leave corporate life and build a purpose-driven business.

Learn more about Nora's work: https://choosethemarble.com/

The Open Door is a series where once a month we literally open the studio door and invite folks from the community to sit down with us and talk about whatever is on their hearts. To learn more go to https://bit.ly/opendoor2024.

Shout out to Life in Indy for sponsoring this initiative! Life in Indy is your comprehensive guide to the Indianapolis region. This site gives you a full virtual tour experience, so you can explore our community and discover where in Indy is the best place for your new home. Learn more at https://www.lifeinindy.com/

Subscribe to the newsletter (out Mondays): https://patrickintheworld.substack.com/

Full archives: https://conversationpiecepod.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/conversationpiecepod/

Produced and hosted by: Patrick Armstrong

Filmed and edited by: Mike Lee Productions

Engineered and mixed by: Popular Rapture

Music by: Mandog

• (00:00) - — Welcome to The Open Door + Episode Setup
• (01:02) - — Meet Nora Elder: Self-Advocacy Strategist
• (01:35) - — The “Choose the Marble” Story
• (04:20) - — What Self-Advocacy Really Means
• (05:36) - — Core Values: Why They Matter
• (06:20) - — Skills of Self-Advocacy: Boundaries, Saying No, Negotiation
• (07:48) - — Nora’s Four Core Values
• (10:13) - — How She Helps Clients Discover Their Values
• (13:21) - — Community, Women’s Networks, and Support Systems
• (19:17) - — What Nora Is Building in Year Two (Workshops + Speaking)

On this episode of Conversation Piece, designer, creator, and business strategist Navi Kaur stops by the studio to talk about her journey from watching Dragon Ball Z as a kid in India to helping build The Normies — an Indianapolis-based creative community and reaction channel with nearly 1 million subscribers. She dives into her path from immigrant student to financial officer, how The Normies grew from friends watching Game of Thrones to a full-scale business, and what it takes to sustain creativity, community, and leadership in digital media.

Connect with Navi: https://instagram.com/nerdy_nav/
Check out The Normies: https://thenormies.com/

Shout out to Frida's Flowers for sponsoring the show! Elevate your next event (or your living room) with some of Madeline's incredible work: fridasflowersindy.com/

This week’s Give Em Their Flowers shout out: Markéta, Rana, Blake Roebuck, and The Normies’ editing team for their creativity, care, and community spirit.

Subscribe to the newsletter (out Mondays): https://patrickintheworld.substack.com/

Full archives: https://conversationpiecepod.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/conversationpiecepod/

Produced and hosted by: Patrick Armstrong

Filmed and edited by: Mike Lee Productions

Engineered and mixed by: Popular Rapture

Music by: Mandog

• (00:00) - – Year of Community
• (01:05) - – Introducing Navi Kaur
• (02:00) - – How Navi met her friend group through Game of Thrones
• (04:08) - – Early love for anime and manga
• (06:04) - – Immigrating to America and finding identity through pop culture
• (08:24) - – Discovering manga at the library and bonding with siblings
• (09:52) - – From reading to reacting: The artistry of anime adaptation
• (11:10) - – Sub vs. dub: why both matter
• (12:00) - – Meeting The Normies crew
• (14:03) - – The first reaction video and how it all began
• (17:09) - – Building community through shared fandoms
• (20:14) - – When The Normies became a real business
• (22:19) - – Learning HR, payroll, and leadership on the fly
• (25:15) - – The evolution of scheduling, team roles, and creative flow
• (28:47) - – Letting go of control and trusting the team
• (30:37) - – Decision-making, leadership, and “no more ties”
• (31:32) - – A day in the life at The Normies studio
• (35:21) - – How new shows get added to the lineup
• (37:31) - – Staying in Indianapolis and why it works
• (40:57) - – On burnout, winter blues, and cost of living
• (44:28) - – Balancing creative and financial roles
• (46:33) - – Finding peace in nature and local trails
• (49:14) - – Give Em Their Flowers
• (50:36) - – On community, connection, and gratitude