This week on Toasts & Jams, we're joined by therapist and counsellor Denise Devenish for an important conversation about creativity, mental health and the pressures of working in music.

We explore why even successful musicians can struggle financially, how criticism affects our sense of self-worth, and what happens when the pressure to keep creating begins to affect our wellbeing.

Denise shares her perspective on creative blocks, burnout, grief and the emotional challenges that can come with building a life around something you love.

It's a thoughtful conversation about the relationship between creativity and mental health, and why looking after ourselves matters just as much as the work we make.

Denise's links: https://www.denisedevenishcounselling.co.uk

Denise's drink: Kombucha

Denise's song: MJ Cole – Be Sincere

https://youtu.be/DXCtYUtjDYU?si=QuvCPGagaFyBkhpl

Toasts & Jams:

https://linktr.ee/toastsandjams

Toasts & Jams Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6gff6dFVOoYlPrm8zhTsXA

Produced, recorded and edited by Allan Brothers Films and Alex Catt.

https://www.allanbrothersfilms.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Toasts & Jams, we welcome DJ and producer TSHA.

We talk about her journey into electronic music, learning to DJ, getting her first gigs and the unusual road to signing a three-album deal with Ninja Tune.

TSHA shares the realities of life on tour, from sleepless nights and demanding schedules to the importance of relationships in the music industry. We also explore the challenges of building a career as an artist, finding your own sound and learning how to navigate an industry that isn't always easy.

And we discover how seeing Bonobo perform live helped shape her ambitions as a producer, and why the emotional connection we have with music is so important.

A lovely conversation about creativity, perseverance, the music industry and the moments that inspire us to make something of our own.

TSHA's drink: Chamomile Tea

TSHA's song: Bonobo – Cirrus

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Bonobo+Cirrus

Follow TSHA:

https://www.instagram.com/tsha/

Toasts & Jams:

https://linktr.ee/toastsandjams

Toasts & Jams Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6gff6dFVOoYlPrm8zhTsXA

Big thank you to The Collective Acoustics:

https://www.tcacoustics.co.uk/

Produced, recorded and edited by Allan Brothers Films and Alex Catt.

https://www.allanbrothersfilms.com/

#ToastsAndJams #TSHA #NinjaTune #ElectronicMusic #MusicProduction

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Toasts & Jams, we welcome writer and journalist Charlotte Philby.

Charlotte talks about her journey from journalism into fiction, how maternity leave unexpectedly gave her the space to start writing, and the long road from first putting an idea on paper to becoming a published novelist.

We talk about persistence, motherhood and creativity, the relationship between journalism and fiction, and why she's particularly drawn to writing women's stories. Charlotte also reflects on the freedom that comes with fiction, finding your own way of working, and why some ideas are worth returning to — even when they take years to become what you imagined.

It's a warm and open conversation about writing, storytelling, changing direction and the very unglamorous reality of making something and sticking with it.

Lottie's song: • Carly Simon - You're So Vain

Pre-order Lottie's new novel HOT YOUNG THINGS: https://www.waterstones.com/book/hot-...

Big thank you to The Collective Acoustics: https://www.tcacoustics.co.uk/

Toasts & Jams: https://linktr.ee/toastsandjams

Produced, recorded and edited by Allan Brothers Films and Alex Catt: https://www.allanbrothersfilms.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.