The Mountain in Us

“ The Mountain in Us , a podcast where “The Journey gets its voice.” I’m Taran Singh, your host. Here, we greet the thrills, jolts, ascents, and descents of our uncharted adventures. As a poet, I have explored the adventures and ethos of human existence through the ink. I naturally gravitated towards podcasting, where observation, listening & silence create a bonding spell. In each episode of The Mountain In Us , I sit down with a kindling guest whose journey is more than a milestone; together, we unravel the human spirit of exploration, expression, and purpose. These conversations are candid, rejuvenating, and connective. I’m optimistic that the breadcrumbs from our trails will resonate with your beat and boost your courageous sojourns and perspectives. www.inkofsingh.com

The Mountain in Us is a society podcast hosted by Taran Singh, with 27 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Taran Singh hosts The Mountain in Us, a society show with 27 episodes published.

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  Episode #9

  Art as a Universal Healer

  Aug 27, 202644 minS2

  Send us Fan Mail A career can look perfect on paper and still feel cold the moment you walk into the room. That’s the feeling Wendy names when she talks about interning in high-budget advertising agencies, and it’s the spark that pushes our conversation into something deeper: how creativity becomes a mental health tool, not just a hobby. Wendy grew up in Ho Chi Minh City during Vietnam’s post-war recovery, where the “war” wasn’t always spoken about, but it was present in the mood, the stories, and the ways people coped. From an entrepreneurial family that also loved sculpture, music, and writing, she learns early that art is a language for what’s hard to say. After moving to California, she builds community through theater and advocacy, then discovers expressive arts therapy and the power of integrating visual art, movement, music, drama, and creative writing to help people express what feels stuck. We also get real about the work itself: active listening, slowing down, and showing up as an agent of hope in community mental health. Wendy shares what it’s like supporting refugees living with PTSD, working with youth at risk, and navigating systems that add time limits and paperwork to human healing. Along the way, we talk about self-care for helpers, why distraction is such a profitable trap, and how journaling and simple reflective practices can keep you anchored. We close with Wendy’s community-facing projects, including a gallery show featuring youth artwork and her vision for sustainable community art events in San Diego. If you care about art therapy, expressive arts therapy, healing through art, abstract painting, and building real community, this conversation will stay with you. Subscribe, share this with a creative friend, and leave a review with the one idea you want to practice this week. www.inkofsingh.com

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  Episode #8

  Spiritual Intention & Creativity

  Aug 17, 202637 minS2

  Send us Fan Mail Finding the Spirit in Art: A Conversation with Satsuki Shibuya On this week’s episode of The Mountain in Us, host Taran Singh invited us on a journey that felt both intimate and expansive, as he sat down with Japanese-American multidisciplinary artist Satsuki Shibuya. What unfolded was a conversation about names, identities, and the quiet, powerful pathways of intuition and spiritual expression. From the very start, Satsuki shared the story of her name—rooted in the Japanese month of May and echoed in a gentle flower she discovered as a child. That story was more than a memory; it was a meditation on identity. For years, Satsuki had felt the weight of her uncommon name in an American childhood, wishing for something simpler, like Jennifer or Sarah. Yet, as she grew into her spiritual self, that name became an anchor—her “marker” on Earth, a frequency that keeps her grounded in this life. The conversation drifted seamlessly into her early love and struggle with music. Beginning piano at three, she often wrestled with the discipline and technicality of practice, yet she felt deeply connected to the act of creation itself. Her journey led her to a pivotal moment of transformation: a two-year illness that forced her into stillness. In that time, she questioned the meaning of her work, her purpose, and the pace of life. Emerging from that period, she shifted from chasing external validation to listening inwardly. Her art became less about output and more about alignment. Satsuki’s evolution as an artist mirrors a spiritual awakening in motion. Her watercolor practice began as a meditative experiment and blossomed into a channel for emotional and energetic expression. Today, she weaves together painting, poetry, and even sound-like frequency notations, creating a dialogue between her inner and outer worlds. Her pieces often begin in the intangible—dreamscapes, sensations, or intuitive whispers—and emerge as visual meditations that invite viewers to feel rather than simply look. Perhaps the most resonant part of their dialogue was Satsuki’s reflection on fulfillment. She reminds us that life’s purpose is not a singular answer waiting at the end of a linear path. Instead, it is found in small acts of alignment, in the daily choices that honor the soul’s quiet pull. The true joy is in the practice of becoming, over and over again—a cycle of ebb and flow, stepping away and returning with renewed passion. As the episode closed, it felt less like the end of an interview and more like the soft landing of a meditative journey. Satsuki Shibuya’s story reminds us that whether through art, music, writing, or simply living with intention, our truest expressions begin by listening inward, trusting the unseen, and allowing our spirit to guide the brush. https://satsukishibuya.com/ www.inkofsingh.com

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  Episode #7

  The Swing of Pencil and Leaves

  Aug 8, 202643 minS2

  Send us Fan Mail Join host Taran Singh as he sits down with illustrator, designer, and community anchor Erin Ellis to explore the beautiful intersection of art, nature, and personal growth. In this episode, Erin opens up about her "zigzag" journey across different landscapes, tracing her path from her childhood roots in New Jersey to her current coastal home in Monterey. Together, they discuss how her environment directly fuels her creative process and shapes her perspective as an artist. Erin shares the fascinating transitions that defined her early career and personal search for independence. She reflects on her college years in Baltimore and a formative seven-year chapter in San Francisco, where she fell in love with coastal living. She also candidly recounts a brief, eye-opening experiment with rural farm life in Pennsylvania, an experience that taught her she ultimately thrives best when surrounded by vibrant culture and active communities. Driven by a strong intuition and a desire for connection, Erin's journey eventually took her across the globe to New Zealand on a working holiday visa. This episode captures the essence of an artist constantly tuning in to her surroundings, learning which environments make her soul thrive, and bringing those lessons back into her design work. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about intuition, the call of the sea, and finding your true creative community. www.inkofsingh.com

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  Episode #6

  The Language Of Colors - Renata Cuellar

  Aug 4, 202637 minS2

  Send us Fan Mail A painting can start as a crystal-clear vision and still arrive somewhere totally unexpected. That gap between what we imagine and what we can actually translate onto canvas is where Renata Cuellar lives and works, and it’s why this conversation feels so honest for anyone trying to build a creative life. We sit down with Renata, a Colombian-American professional artist and soulful curator, to trace the path from childhood sketches to formal training at a Long Island painting school where she learned to truly see color, structure, and light. We also talk about the reality behind the “artist” label: the immigrant-family pressure to choose a safer route, the detour into psychology and cognitive science, and the pivotal moment when she admits she doesn’t feel right unless she’s making art. From there we get practical about making art a career. Renata breaks down what an art commission really is, how she approaches client communication, and why the hustle is not optional if you want consistent work. She shares how spirituality and prayer show up in her process, how she learns when to stop working a piece, and how running and time in nature help her solve visual problems, find new color inspiration, and recover through injuries while staying creative. If you care about art education, mixed media, commissions, creative entrepreneurship, or finding your unique style in the age of AI, you’ll leave with language you can use and habits you can try. Subscribe for more conversations, share this with an artist friend, and leave a review with the biggest takeaway you’re putting into practice. www.inkofsingh.com

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  Episode #5

  Ink, Roots & Redemption - Tryshna Malonzo

  Jul 16, 202639 minS2

  Send us Fan Mail Grief can be quiet, delayed, and strangely practical. It can look like showing up to school, going to parties, keeping the jokes going, and only realizing later that you've been carrying something heavy for years. We talk with Filipino-American poet, educator, and community activist Tryshna Molanzo about what it means to reclaim your life when loss has rearranged your inner world, and how writing can become a place where every part of you gets to speak. We start with the origin of her name, inspired by the mantra "Hare Krishna," then move into childhood memories of her grandfather's steady care and the rituals that made home feel safe. Tryshna opens up about Alzheimer's, visiting a care home, being misrecognized, and the moment the final phone call makes everything real. From there, she reflects on a college era shaped by substances, performance, and shame, and the slow pivot toward honesty and self-respect. The heart of this conversation is practice: journaling for healing; yoga and mindfulness for reconnecting with the body; spirituality and nature as anchors; and community as accountability. Triyshna also shares how she chooses poems for open mics by returning to her journals, letting the present moment guide what she reads, and trusting that sharing story is part of liberation. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What line or idea from Tryshna's story are you taking into your space? www.inkofsingh.com

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