A Reunion, A Reminder, and the Art of Showing Up

What if going back helped you move forward?

This week, I share the unexpected lessons that came from attending my high school reunion—yes, the actual kind with name tags and awkward hugs—but also with profound moments of clarity, creativity, and connection.

You don’t need to have gone to the Cambridge School of Weston (or even liked high school) to get something out of this episode. This conversation is about:

→ Revisiting the places and people that shaped you

→ Remembering who you were before the world told you who to be

→ And letting all of that fuel what comes next

I also open up about the spiritual side of my work, including moments when mothers who’ve passed come to me with messages—especially meaningful as Mother’s Day approaches.

If you’re craving reconnection—with your creative spark, your inner truth, or the people who’ve walked beside you—this one’s for you.

✨ 3 Takeaways Just for You:

• Your presence is a gift. Showing up—fully and honestly—is more powerful than you think.
• The people who believed in you still matter. Don’t underestimate the impact of reaching back or saying thank you.
• Your life is your art. Mistakes, pivots, beauty, mess—it all belongs.

Join FLOW - Our Monthly Women’s Fellowship. Online and in person options available. In person group meets the 2nd Monday of each month. Online meets 3rd Monday. Sign up here >>> https://www.robynivy.com/events/p/flow

Book your Mother’s Day Session now >>> https://calendly.com/robynivy/intuitive60

Learn more about the Cambridge School of Weston >>> here https://www.csw.org/

MORE ABOUT ROBYN IVY

Robyn Ivy sees people for a living.

Coach, artist,podcast host and trusted intuitive Robyn is a masterful guide for soulful growth.

She helps you get powerfully unstuck and more deeply connected, as she teaches you how to ride the magic carpet of your life.

Having spent over 20 years as a commercial photographer she offers a unique toolkit to shift your internal and external lenses to look at things differently.

Inner leadership comes from deep practices in mindfulness, creativity, shifting mindset and connecting deeply with nature.

She mentors select clients 1:1, hosts the Robyn Ivy Podcast, offers private intuitive sessions, leads groups, circles and retreats. She has been hosting circles since 1998.

Connect with Robyn Ivy here:

https://robynivy.com https://www.instagram.com/robynivy

A heartfelt, creative reunion nearly 30 years in the making.

This week, I rewind the clock and reconnect with my former high school art teacher and longtime creative inspiration, Orlando Leyba. Nearly three decades after our time together at the Cambridge School of Weston, we dive into a conversation that's filled with laughter, wisdom, and a deep sense of gratitude.

Orlando wasn’t just as a teacher, but as a true mentor — someone who saw the creative spark in me when I was a lost, rebellious 16-year-old trying to find my place in the world back in 1990. His belief in me, and the wild, wonderful community at CSW, helped change the course of my life.

Together, we dive into the magic of making art (and mistakes), why creativity matters now more than ever, and the challenges today’s students face in a world full of distractions like social media.

Orlando reflects on decades spent nurturing creativity (and some wild student art projects!) and offers grounded, heartfelt advice for anyone—at any age—looking to rediscover the joy of making things with their hands. There’s nostalgia, vulnerability, and a reminder that playful experimentation has a place in every stage of life.

Takeaways to consider:

• Art is essential for healing and connection: Creativity isn’t just a hobby—it’s a lifeline in a world that can feel chaotic and disconnected.
• Creativity begins with permission to play (and fail!): Perfection isn’t the goal—experimentation, joy, and starting over are how true breakthroughs happen.
• Community (and great teachers) matter: The people who believe in us, celebrate our quirks, and encourage our wild ideas can change the trajectory of our lives.

🎙️ Tune in and join us for a journey through the years, art, community, and all the beautiful messiness of making things real.

https://www.csw.org/alumni/reunion-2025

MORE ABOUT ORLANDO LEYBA

My work is the result of overlapping cultures, languages, and mores. These influences and experiences are distilled into shape, color, emotion and movement.

At times they are neither solid nor fluid; they are ephemeral and rooted in human experiences – well-intentioned, cyclical, and inherently flawed.

My paintings are derived from nature — my grandfather’s land, ancestral land grants, irrigated fields, acequias that my family has maintained for generations, etc.

These paintings meld the contradictions and dichotomies that I have witnessed in my own culture and within my hometown, as well as concepts about time, the spirit world, human interaction and the diversity of factors that influence change that we witness in the world from day to day.

I see these compositions as intermediaries between what is seen and what is assumed, what is plausible and what relies on faith. They are a human effort to bridge the gap between the material and the spiritual.

Orlando on Instagram | orlandoleyba.com

Join me today for an honest and vulnerable conversation about navigating the tough places in life where answers are unclear and the future feels uncertain.

Through the lens of my own experiences as a mom, especially during a challenging period when my younger son chose to take space from our relationship, I explore the art of "making peace with the unknown."

Together, we unpack what it takes to keep the faith, navigate heartbreak or dreams unfulfilled yet, and leave enough room for more to be revealed—no matter how long it takes.

I weave in personal stories, reflections on parenting young adults, and the timeless wisdom of the Zen parable “The Farmer’s Luck,” all with a dose of humor and realness.

Whether you’re facing family struggles, waiting on big news, or simply craving a reminder that life keeps unfolding (even through the messy parts!), this episode encourages you to stay open to possibility and hope.

Your 3 Main Takeaways:

1. Hold Space for the Unknown: Sometimes the greatest growth and healing happen when you allow yourself (and others) the room to be in the in-between—without rushing to fix, label, or control the outcome.
2. Maybe is a Powerful Place: Like the wise farmer in the story, learning to sit with “maybe” instead of rushing to judge things as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ helps you embrace the full, rich unfolding of life.
3. Love Shows Up in the Liminal: Even when relationships (especially with those closest to us) get messy or disconnected, choosing to stay loving, present, and open allows for the potential of deep repair, new beginnings, and unexpected joy.

Thank you for listening to The Robyn Ivy Podcast! I’m truly grateful to have you as part of this community—together, we’re learning, growing, and holding space for all the beautiful unknowns that life brings. If you found value in this episode, share it with a friend, and I’ll catch you next week!

Join FLOW- Our Monthly Women’s Fellowship. Online and in person options available. In person group meets the 2nd Monday of each month. Online meets 3rd Monday.

https://www.robynivy.com/events/p/flow

MORE ABOUT ROBYN IVY

Robyn Ivy sees people for a living.

Coach, artist,podcast host and trusted intuitive Robyn is a masterful guide for soulful growth.

She helps you get powerfully unstuck and more deeply connected, as she teaches you how to ride the magic carpet of your life.

Having spent over 20 years as a commercial photographer she offers a unique toolkit to shift your internal and external lenses to look at things differently.

Inner leadership comes from deep practices in mindfulness, creativity, shifting mindset and connecting deeply with nature.

She mentors select clients 1:1, hosts the Robyn Ivy Podcast, offers private intuitive sessions, leads groups, circles and retreats. She has been hosting circles since 1998.

Connect with Robyn Ivy here:

https://robynivy.com https://www.instagram.com/robynivy