The Ultimate 15-Minute Personal Brand Audit Checklist

FREE DOWNLOAD

Discover What’s Holding You Back from Being Seen as an Authority

East Forest - Music, Psychedelics, and Creative Flow

10/20/21

210: East Forest – Music, Psychedelics, and Creative Flow

[smart_track_player url=”https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/nionradio/Onken_Radio_-_East_Forest.mp3″ title=”Music, Psychedelics, and Creative Flow” artist=”East Forest” image=”https://onkensworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/210_EastForest_CVR.png” color=”#de4b9b” ]

“You have to allow the messiness and the struggle.”
East Forest

What’s up, my fellow earthlings? Welcome back to ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio), a space where we explore the worlds of creativity, consciousness, and everything else in between. My goal is to help you optimize your life and to unleash your full potential, and I am so grateful to have you all on this journey with me.

I can’t wait to introduce today’s guest on my podcast — East Forest. East is one of my favorite musicians and a kindred creator. He has created music that has been monumental in my own personal journey through psychedelics and mushrooms. Experiencing my magic mushroom journeys through East’s music has truly been transformative and life-changing.

“There is a glue that unifies everything I do. My podcast, talks, retreats, writings, events, and the music I make are all about inviting introspection. It’s a form of trusting an individual’s inherent wisdom as they dive into their inner world and learn to make their own decisions. I want to share the experiences, tools, and sounds that I have learned for other people to get closer to their own essence.”
East Forest

Through his music, East aspires to bridge the tools of our past with our rapidly advancing future by forging a modern pathway that can act as an antidote to our way of life in this fast-paced world. He has toured extensively around North America and through parts of Europe, bringing his message to thousands.

East is an incredible artist, and his soulful music is loved by many across the world. I can’t wait for you guys to feel inspired by this man’s life and journey. Let’s get to know him a little more —

Who Is East Forest?

East Forest is an American musician who plays blissful and immersive electro-acoustic music. East’s natural talent for creating soundscapes helps him speak directly to one’s heart and can unlock profound spiritual experiences. 

After experiencing depression early on in his childhood, East started using psychedelics and creating music for others on their own psychedelic journeys. What began as an experiment with music turned into a pathway for spiritual growth for many because of the compatibility of East’s music with meditation, technology, and psychotropic substances.

Due to his music’s nature and popularity, East has collaborated with multiple personalities like the late psychologist and spiritual leader Ram Dass and artists including John Hopkins, Nick Mulvey, Dead Prez, and Peter Broderick, among others. He has also partnered with Google, Johns Hopkins University, Yale Psychedelic Science Group, and he has even been a TED speaker.

East is a creative soul brother, and I’m excited to share with you this episode where we talk about creativity, healing, mindset, psychedelics, and how music lies at the core of it all.

Using The Power of Music to Heal

After a brief stint as a photographer, East started making music while under the influence of magic mushrooms. This unlocked a new dimension for himself that allowed him to use his music to help people heal, and over the years, he created a musical language that formed the backbone for all his work. It’s incredible how East channels his music into a tool for healing.

“I don’t know how it works, but it’s a lot about humbling myself and trying to clear my way to open myself to those energies. … I also do a lot of rehearsal, which is a matter of getting fluent with the same gear — … it’s sort of doing any sort of exercise to get your muscles in shape — … and one of the biggest things I am rehearsing is improvisation. … I realized that I couldn’t plan it, and started discovering what worked and what didn’t [while I performed]. … And when I reach a point where I feel that it sucks to keep going … or when things are not working, then I keep returning back to the process and the flow and allow it to develop.”
East Forest

Through the launch of East’s first album, he realized he couldn’t plan the flow of music. So he started improvising and understanding the audience’s pulse, which allowed his listeners to connect with his music and use its power. While practice and improvisation did help East open up a pathway for people that needed his music, he also devoted a lot of time to research.

“I was trying to learn from ceremonies that I could attend to pick up on old technology, whether it’s San Pedro or Ayahuasca. [The shamans] are using ancient technology that they’ve developed. I want to honor that technology by experiencing it in its purest form and not to extract from it but to be inspired by it because at the end of the day I am trying to help people through a process with psilocybin mushrooms [or magic mushrooms], and our culture didn’t carry a ceremonial protocol like in the case of Ayahuasca.”
East Forest

By witnessing multiple ceremonies and experiencing various cultures, East developed a basic understanding of the flow of music when one is on a psychedelic journey. These rich experiences have made it effortless for East to produce music that takes his listeners to a whole new level and to experience the true psychedelic power of magic mushrooms and use it for greater healing.

Psychedelics and Their Influence on East’s Music

For me, psychedelics have played a massive role in my being able to separate from and detach from my ego in this world. East, having done a lot of ceremonies himself, has also experienced a profound influence of psychedelics on his life. 

“If anything, psychedelics help me trust in the great river that we are all a part of … as opposed to moving cross-stream or upstream. When I feel more separate and isolated, I feel that I’m now working against the stream because I am trying to control something. … The opposing polarity to that is me trusting this energy and accepting that I am held in this river whether I like it or not. This river is always at its beginning and its end at the same time, and I am a part of its regenerative cycle, and I can’t fall out of it. Knowing that and having felt experiences of it in these psychedelic states is a grace in itself.”
East Forest

It is this gift, this power of psychedelics, that allows East to walk ahead in life with more consciousness or awareness; this is reflected in his music. East stresses that the world is very dynamic and is going through a significant transition. That’s why creating different experiences through his music reminds him that music is a way for cultivating the feelings of infiniteness and connectedness.

“By making or performing music, I hope that it reminds people that we are feeding each other at the end of the day. That kind of witnessing or remembrance is like a celebration of life. I don’t mean that it’s all just a party, but it’s about celebrating the depth, the sorrows, the process, the grace, and the unknown. … We are all here to have experiences and to learn on-campus, Earth.”
East Forest

Through his music, East creates unique psychedelic experiences for his users by creating a window for the listeners to tap into its depth. East’s song has been a gift to a lot of people, including myself, on my own magic mushroom journeys that take me to a beautiful space. By culminating his experiences with psychedelic substances and experiencing the journey firsthand, East has been able to create music that truly touches one’s heart and helps listeners dive into the depth of their soulful psychedelic journeys.

The Formula For Identity Alchemy

This episode with East Forest has been so inspirational and helps understand what goes behind the creation of his transformative music and his mindset behind it.

If you are someone who has regular experiences with magic mushrooms, then I would highly recommend that you listen to East’s music on your next spiritual trip. East’s experiences teach us that by allowing ourselves to be free and to come in sync with our feelings and emotions, we give ourselves a chance to transform our lives and to become identity alchemists.

Alchemy is defined as the process of taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary, sometimes in ways that are unexplainable.

That being said, I define Identity Alchemy as the process of deconstructing who you don’t want to be in order to realize who you want to become. 

Through it, you’ll be able to identify your shadows or the things you don’t want to be true about you and shed them slowly. I believe that the deconstruction process of life and your inner world is such a huge piece of understanding who you are so that you can curate who you want to become. In general, I noticed for myself that the more inner work that I do — the deeper shadow work that I do to understand myself — the better life becomes towards the path of wholeness. East is an excellent example of an identity alchemist, and I am grateful to have had him with us for this session.

If you are inspired by East’s spiritual and musical journey, then I would strongly recommend you to check out his website. You can also show East some love by following him on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Thank you so many guys for reading this post. If you found value in this episode, then it would be really great if you could tag East, @eastforest, and me, @nickonken, on Instagram with a screenshot of this episode and your greatest takeaways from it. If you are feeling more generous, then head over to Apple Podcasts and leave a review.

See you folks next time when I come back with another informative and inspiring episode to help you lead a life of creativity and meaning.

Nick Onken

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review!

NION RADIO ON APPLE PODCASTS

“Just showing up is the main thing.”
East Forest

Some things we learn in this podcast:

  • How to make music for a psychedelic trip [14:00]
  • How to unlock your creativity [17:30]
  • Which instruments are good for music to accompany psychedelics [40:00]
  • How to accompany a psychedelic trip with music [45:00]
  • Why do psychedelic ceremonies begin with percussion [46:45]

Links Mentioned:

Connect with East Forest on Instagram | Soundcloud | Facebook | East Forest

LET'S CONSPIRE & CREATE

CULTIVATING YOUR VISUAL UNIQUENESS AND STREAMLINING YOUR BRAND'S EVOLUTION

[smart_track_player url=”https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/nionradio/Onken_Radio_-_East_Forest.mp3″ title=”Music, Psychedelics, and Creative Flow” artist=”East Forest” image=”https://onkensworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/210_EastForest_CVR.png” color=”#de4b9b” ]

“You have to allow the messiness and the struggle.”
East Forest

What’s up, my fellow earthlings? Welcome back to ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio), a space where we explore the worlds of creativity, consciousness, and everything else in between. My goal is to help you optimize your life and to unleash your full potential, and I am so grateful to have you all on this journey with me.

I can’t wait to introduce today’s guest on my podcast — East Forest. East is one of my favorite musicians and a kindred creator. He has created music that has been monumental in my own personal journey through psychedelics and mushrooms. Experiencing my magic mushroom journeys through East’s music has truly been transformative and life-changing.

“There is a glue that unifies everything I do. My podcast, talks, retreats, writings, events, and the music I make are all about inviting introspection. It’s a form of trusting an individual’s inherent wisdom as they dive into their inner world and learn to make their own decisions. I want to share the experiences, tools, and sounds that I have learned for other people to get closer to their own essence.”
East Forest

Through his music, East aspires to bridge the tools of our past with our rapidly advancing future by forging a modern pathway that can act as an antidote to our way of life in this fast-paced world. He has toured extensively around North America and through parts of Europe, bringing his message to thousands.

East is an incredible artist, and his soulful music is loved by many across the world. I can’t wait for you guys to feel inspired by this man’s life and journey. Let’s get to know him a little more —

Who Is East Forest?

East Forest is an American musician who plays blissful and immersive electro-acoustic music. East’s natural talent for creating soundscapes helps him speak directly to one’s heart and can unlock profound spiritual experiences. 

After experiencing depression early on in his childhood, East started using psychedelics and creating music for others on their own psychedelic journeys. What began as an experiment with music turned into a pathway for spiritual growth for many because of the compatibility of East’s music with meditation, technology, and psychotropic substances.

Due to his music’s nature and popularity, East has collaborated with multiple personalities like the late psychologist and spiritual leader Ram Dass and artists including John Hopkins, Nick Mulvey, Dead Prez, and Peter Broderick, among others. He has also partnered with Google, Johns Hopkins University, Yale Psychedelic Science Group, and he has even been a TED speaker.

East is a creative soul brother, and I’m excited to share with you this episode where we talk about creativity, healing, mindset, psychedelics, and how music lies at the core of it all.

Using The Power of Music to Heal

After a brief stint as a photographer, East started making music while under the influence of magic mushrooms. This unlocked a new dimension for himself that allowed him to use his music to help people heal, and over the years, he created a musical language that formed the backbone for all his work. It’s incredible how East channels his music into a tool for healing.

“I don’t know how it works, but it’s a lot about humbling myself and trying to clear my way to open myself to those energies. … I also do a lot of rehearsal, which is a matter of getting fluent with the same gear — … it’s sort of doing any sort of exercise to get your muscles in shape — … and one of the biggest things I am rehearsing is improvisation. … I realized that I couldn’t plan it, and started discovering what worked and what didn’t [while I performed]. … And when I reach a point where I feel that it sucks to keep going … or when things are not working, then I keep returning back to the process and the flow and allow it to develop.”
East Forest

Through the launch of East’s first album, he realized he couldn’t plan the flow of music. So he started improvising and understanding the audience’s pulse, which allowed his listeners to connect with his music and use its power. While practice and improvisation did help East open up a pathway for people that needed his music, he also devoted a lot of time to research.

“I was trying to learn from ceremonies that I could attend to pick up on old technology, whether it’s San Pedro or Ayahuasca. [The shamans] are using ancient technology that they’ve developed. I want to honor that technology by experiencing it in its purest form and not to extract from it but to be inspired by it because at the end of the day I am trying to help people through a process with psilocybin mushrooms [or magic mushrooms], and our culture didn’t carry a ceremonial protocol like in the case of Ayahuasca.”
East Forest

By witnessing multiple ceremonies and experiencing various cultures, East developed a basic understanding of the flow of music when one is on a psychedelic journey. These rich experiences have made it effortless for East to produce music that takes his listeners to a whole new level and to experience the true psychedelic power of magic mushrooms and use it for greater healing.

Psychedelics and Their Influence on East’s Music

For me, psychedelics have played a massive role in my being able to separate from and detach from my ego in this world. East, having done a lot of ceremonies himself, has also experienced a profound influence of psychedelics on his life. 

“If anything, psychedelics help me trust in the great river that we are all a part of … as opposed to moving cross-stream or upstream. When I feel more separate and isolated, I feel that I’m now working against the stream because I am trying to control something. … The opposing polarity to that is me trusting this energy and accepting that I am held in this river whether I like it or not. This river is always at its beginning and its end at the same time, and I am a part of its regenerative cycle, and I can’t fall out of it. Knowing that and having felt experiences of it in these psychedelic states is a grace in itself.”
East Forest

It is this gift, this power of psychedelics, that allows East to walk ahead in life with more consciousness or awareness; this is reflected in his music. East stresses that the world is very dynamic and is going through a significant transition. That’s why creating different experiences through his music reminds him that music is a way for cultivating the feelings of infiniteness and connectedness.

“By making or performing music, I hope that it reminds people that we are feeding each other at the end of the day. That kind of witnessing or remembrance is like a celebration of life. I don’t mean that it’s all just a party, but it’s about celebrating the depth, the sorrows, the process, the grace, and the unknown. … We are all here to have experiences and to learn on-campus, Earth.”
East Forest

Through his music, East creates unique psychedelic experiences for his users by creating a window for the listeners to tap into its depth. East’s song has been a gift to a lot of people, including myself, on my own magic mushroom journeys that take me to a beautiful space. By culminating his experiences with psychedelic substances and experiencing the journey firsthand, East has been able to create music that truly touches one’s heart and helps listeners dive into the depth of their soulful psychedelic journeys.

The Formula For Identity Alchemy

This episode with East Forest has been so inspirational and helps understand what goes behind the creation of his transformative music and his mindset behind it.

If you are someone who has regular experiences with magic mushrooms, then I would highly recommend that you listen to East’s music on your next spiritual trip. East’s experiences teach us that by allowing ourselves to be free and to come in sync with our feelings and emotions, we give ourselves a chance to transform our lives and to become identity alchemists.

Alchemy is defined as the process of taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary, sometimes in ways that are unexplainable.

That being said, I define Identity Alchemy as the process of deconstructing who you don’t want to be in order to realize who you want to become. 

Through it, you’ll be able to identify your shadows or the things you don’t want to be true about you and shed them slowly. I believe that the deconstruction process of life and your inner world is such a huge piece of understanding who you are so that you can curate who you want to become. In general, I noticed for myself that the more inner work that I do — the deeper shadow work that I do to understand myself — the better life becomes towards the path of wholeness. East is an excellent example of an identity alchemist, and I am grateful to have had him with us for this session.

If you are inspired by East’s spiritual and musical journey, then I would strongly recommend you to check out his website. You can also show East some love by following him on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Thank you so many guys for reading this post. If you found value in this episode, then it would be really great if you could tag East, @eastforest, and me, @nickonken, on Instagram with a screenshot of this episode and your greatest takeaways from it. If you are feeling more generous, then head over to Apple Podcasts and leave a review.

See you folks next time when I come back with another informative and inspiring episode to help you lead a life of creativity and meaning.

Nick Onken

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review!

NION RADIO ON APPLE PODCASTS

“Just showing up is the main thing.”
East Forest

Some things we learn in this podcast:

  • How to make music for a psychedelic trip [14:00]
  • How to unlock your creativity [17:30]
  • Which instruments are good for music to accompany psychedelics [40:00]
  • How to accompany a psychedelic trip with music [45:00]
  • Why do psychedelic ceremonies begin with percussion [46:45]

Links Mentioned:

Connect with East Forest on Instagram | Soundcloud | Facebook | East Forest

East Forest - Music, Psychedelics, and Creative Flow

10/20/21

210: East Forest – Music, Psychedelics, and Creative Flow

Podcast

infuse your vision with a fresh breath of  creativity and vitality

BOOK A BRAND PHOTOSHOOT

GET THE DETAILS

GET THE DETAILS

infuse your vision with a fresh breath of  creativity and vitality

PODCAST

BRAND INTELLIGENCE

CREATIVE INTELLIGENCE

LIFE INTELLIGENCE

[smart_track_player url=”https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/nionradio/Onken_Radio_-_East_Forest.mp3″ title=”Music, Psychedelics, and Creative Flow” artist=”East Forest” image=”https://onkensworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/210_EastForest_CVR.png” color=”#de4b9b” ]

“You have to allow the messiness and the struggle.”
East Forest

What’s up, my fellow earthlings? Welcome back to ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio), a space where we explore the worlds of creativity, consciousness, and everything else in between. My goal is to help you optimize your life and to unleash your full potential, and I am so grateful to have you all on this journey with me.

I can’t wait to introduce today’s guest on my podcast — East Forest. East is one of my favorite musicians and a kindred creator. He has created music that has been monumental in my own personal journey through psychedelics and mushrooms. Experiencing my magic mushroom journeys through East’s music has truly been transformative and life-changing.

“There is a glue that unifies everything I do. My podcast, talks, retreats, writings, events, and the music I make are all about inviting introspection. It’s a form of trusting an individual’s inherent wisdom as they dive into their inner world and learn to make their own decisions. I want to share the experiences, tools, and sounds that I have learned for other people to get closer to their own essence.”
East Forest

Through his music, East aspires to bridge the tools of our past with our rapidly advancing future by forging a modern pathway that can act as an antidote to our way of life in this fast-paced world. He has toured extensively around North America and through parts of Europe, bringing his message to thousands.

East is an incredible artist, and his soulful music is loved by many across the world. I can’t wait for you guys to feel inspired by this man’s life and journey. Let’s get to know him a little more —

Who Is East Forest?

East Forest is an American musician who plays blissful and immersive electro-acoustic music. East’s natural talent for creating soundscapes helps him speak directly to one’s heart and can unlock profound spiritual experiences. 

After experiencing depression early on in his childhood, East started using psychedelics and creating music for others on their own psychedelic journeys. What began as an experiment with music turned into a pathway for spiritual growth for many because of the compatibility of East’s music with meditation, technology, and psychotropic substances.

Due to his music’s nature and popularity, East has collaborated with multiple personalities like the late psychologist and spiritual leader Ram Dass and artists including John Hopkins, Nick Mulvey, Dead Prez, and Peter Broderick, among others. He has also partnered with Google, Johns Hopkins University, Yale Psychedelic Science Group, and he has even been a TED speaker.

East is a creative soul brother, and I’m excited to share with you this episode where we talk about creativity, healing, mindset, psychedelics, and how music lies at the core of it all.

Using The Power of Music to Heal

After a brief stint as a photographer, East started making music while under the influence of magic mushrooms. This unlocked a new dimension for himself that allowed him to use his music to help people heal, and over the years, he created a musical language that formed the backbone for all his work. It’s incredible how East channels his music into a tool for healing.

“I don’t know how it works, but it’s a lot about humbling myself and trying to clear my way to open myself to those energies. … I also do a lot of rehearsal, which is a matter of getting fluent with the same gear — … it’s sort of doing any sort of exercise to get your muscles in shape — … and one of the biggest things I am rehearsing is improvisation. … I realized that I couldn’t plan it, and started discovering what worked and what didn’t [while I performed]. … And when I reach a point where I feel that it sucks to keep going … or when things are not working, then I keep returning back to the process and the flow and allow it to develop.”
East Forest

Through the launch of East’s first album, he realized he couldn’t plan the flow of music. So he started improvising and understanding the audience’s pulse, which allowed his listeners to connect with his music and use its power. While practice and improvisation did help East open up a pathway for people that needed his music, he also devoted a lot of time to research.

“I was trying to learn from ceremonies that I could attend to pick up on old technology, whether it’s San Pedro or Ayahuasca. [The shamans] are using ancient technology that they’ve developed. I want to honor that technology by experiencing it in its purest form and not to extract from it but to be inspired by it because at the end of the day I am trying to help people through a process with psilocybin mushrooms [or magic mushrooms], and our culture didn’t carry a ceremonial protocol like in the case of Ayahuasca.”
East Forest

By witnessing multiple ceremonies and experiencing various cultures, East developed a basic understanding of the flow of music when one is on a psychedelic journey. These rich experiences have made it effortless for East to produce music that takes his listeners to a whole new level and to experience the true psychedelic power of magic mushrooms and use it for greater healing.

Psychedelics and Their Influence on East’s Music

For me, psychedelics have played a massive role in my being able to separate from and detach from my ego in this world. East, having done a lot of ceremonies himself, has also experienced a profound influence of psychedelics on his life. 

“If anything, psychedelics help me trust in the great river that we are all a part of … as opposed to moving cross-stream or upstream. When I feel more separate and isolated, I feel that I’m now working against the stream because I am trying to control something. … The opposing polarity to that is me trusting this energy and accepting that I am held in this river whether I like it or not. This river is always at its beginning and its end at the same time, and I am a part of its regenerative cycle, and I can’t fall out of it. Knowing that and having felt experiences of it in these psychedelic states is a grace in itself.”
East Forest

It is this gift, this power of psychedelics, that allows East to walk ahead in life with more consciousness or awareness; this is reflected in his music. East stresses that the world is very dynamic and is going through a significant transition. That’s why creating different experiences through his music reminds him that music is a way for cultivating the feelings of infiniteness and connectedness.

“By making or performing music, I hope that it reminds people that we are feeding each other at the end of the day. That kind of witnessing or remembrance is like a celebration of life. I don’t mean that it’s all just a party, but it’s about celebrating the depth, the sorrows, the process, the grace, and the unknown. … We are all here to have experiences and to learn on-campus, Earth.”
East Forest

Through his music, East creates unique psychedelic experiences for his users by creating a window for the listeners to tap into its depth. East’s song has been a gift to a lot of people, including myself, on my own magic mushroom journeys that take me to a beautiful space. By culminating his experiences with psychedelic substances and experiencing the journey firsthand, East has been able to create music that truly touches one’s heart and helps listeners dive into the depth of their soulful psychedelic journeys.

The Formula For Identity Alchemy

This episode with East Forest has been so inspirational and helps understand what goes behind the creation of his transformative music and his mindset behind it.

If you are someone who has regular experiences with magic mushrooms, then I would highly recommend that you listen to East’s music on your next spiritual trip. East’s experiences teach us that by allowing ourselves to be free and to come in sync with our feelings and emotions, we give ourselves a chance to transform our lives and to become identity alchemists.

Alchemy is defined as the process of taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary, sometimes in ways that are unexplainable.

That being said, I define Identity Alchemy as the process of deconstructing who you don’t want to be in order to realize who you want to become. 

Through it, you’ll be able to identify your shadows or the things you don’t want to be true about you and shed them slowly. I believe that the deconstruction process of life and your inner world is such a huge piece of understanding who you are so that you can curate who you want to become. In general, I noticed for myself that the more inner work that I do — the deeper shadow work that I do to understand myself — the better life becomes towards the path of wholeness. East is an excellent example of an identity alchemist, and I am grateful to have had him with us for this session.

If you are inspired by East’s spiritual and musical journey, then I would strongly recommend you to check out his website. You can also show East some love by following him on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Thank you so many guys for reading this post. If you found value in this episode, then it would be really great if you could tag East, @eastforest, and me, @nickonken, on Instagram with a screenshot of this episode and your greatest takeaways from it. If you are feeling more generous, then head over to Apple Podcasts and leave a review.

See you folks next time when I come back with another informative and inspiring episode to help you lead a life of creativity and meaning.

Nick Onken

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review!

NION RADIO ON APPLE PODCASTS

“Just showing up is the main thing.”
East Forest

Some things we learn in this podcast:

  • How to make music for a psychedelic trip [14:00]
  • How to unlock your creativity [17:30]
  • Which instruments are good for music to accompany psychedelics [40:00]
  • How to accompany a psychedelic trip with music [45:00]
  • Why do psychedelic ceremonies begin with percussion [46:45]

Links Mentioned:

Connect with East Forest on Instagram | Soundcloud | Facebook | East Forest

East Forest - Music, Psychedelics, and Creative Flow

10/20/21

210: East Forest – Music, Psychedelics, and Creative Flow

When you need a trusted creative partner in the room.

Take the Fit Check

Be seen at the level you’re stepping into.

Hey! I'm Nick.

PHOTOGRAPHER
BRAND ALCHEMIST
TEACHER

At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occaecati cupiditate non provident, similique sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollitia.

Build authority from the inside out.

Emanate is a creative-direction-led photography experience for entrepreneurs, speakers, and thought leaders in a moment of expansion. This isn’t about better photos. It’s about aligning how you’re seen with who you’ve become. For seasons of rebrand, visibility, and next-level leadership.

Magnetic Authority is a self-guided container for people who feel visible, but not fully anchored.

If your message keeps shifting, your brand feels inconsistent, or your presence doesn’t match your capability yet. This is where you build the foundation before you scale.

Take the Fit Check

Start Here

For founders, creatives, and leaders who want a trusted long-term partner. This isn’t coaching or traditional consulting.

It’s an ongoing creative partnership focused on bringing your personal brand identity to life.

Your brand. Your website. Your visuals.
All shaped as a direct extension of who you are. The work also includes a bespoke process of identifying and aligning the right experts when needed, so nothing gets built out of sync with your core.

Explore the Partnership

Quiet. Precise. Highly Selective.

read the latest

Nicky Clinch founder Body-Mind Maturation teaching identity dissolution through transformational brand photography

Nicky Clinch teaches people to dissolve their identity. So when I suggested professional photography and styling, she resisted. “Isn’t this the opposite of what I teach?” Her work is about loosening attachment to identity. Mine is about making identity visible. The paradox was real. But here’s what she discovered: you can have an identity without […]

Professional coach photographed in a calm, editorial environment with natural light and grounded presence

TL;DR – What You’ll Learn in This Post Why Brand Photography Matters More for Coaches As a coach, you are the product. People are not buying information.They are buying clarity, trust, and emotional safety. Your imagery sets the tone before a single word is spoken. If your photos feel stiff, overproduced, or generic, it creates […]

Minimal editorial portrait expressing calm presence and embodied awareness through light and stillness

TL;DR – What You’ll Learn in This Post Imagination does not create reality. Presence does. Ideas live in the mind.Vision lives in the future.But reality responds only to what is here. Nothing moves forward without presence. Not clarity.Not alignment.Not creation. Presence is not something you add.It is what remains when you stop reaching. The Gap […]

Editorial portrait of Peter Crone captured with calm presence and understated authority using Elevated Realism

Some people do not need to perform. They simply arrive. Peter Crone is one of them. His work is quiet.Precise.Deep. So the challenge was never how to make him look impressive.It was how to let his essence lead. This case study is about what happens when imagery stops trying and starts listening. The Challenge Peter’s […]

Evangeline Lilly authentic brand photography transformation from celebrity performance to spiritual teacher presence

Most celebrities spend their careers being turned into something they’re not. Magazines need a character. Brands need a fantasy. Directors need a performance. After decades of that, you forget who you actually are. Evangeline Lilly retired from acting and faced a question most people avoid: who am I when I’m not performing? The answer required […]

Personal brand client captured in London during an Elevated Realism editorial photoshoot

If you’re searching for a photographer in London who can actually capture your essence, not just your image, you’re asking the right question. Because when it comes to personal brand photography, geography matters.But frequency matters more. You don’t need just a photographer.You need a visual translator. Someone who can turn your energy, story, and identity […]

Elevated Realism visual identity expressed through editorial portrait with natural light and grounded presence

Visual identity isn’t about how you look. It’s about how you make someone feel when they first encounter you. Before anyone reads your words, they feel your presence.Before trust, there is tone.Before authority, there is resonance. This is where Elevated Realism™ lives.Not in polish.Not in perfection.In presence. The Problem With Most Brand Imagery Most visual […]

Nick Onken walking across a reflective desert basin near a sci-fi landspeeder, symbolizing visionary pathfinding and creative expansion

There’s something pulling at you. Not a plan. Not a strategy. Not even a clear destination. Just this persistent tug that won’t let go. You’ve probably tried to rationalize it away. To wait for more clarity. To map out the full journey before taking a step. But here’s what I’ve learned after years of building […]

Editorial portrait of Caoimhe Harrison standing in the stone corridor of an ancient Irish castle during an Elevated Realism shoot

What happens when your inner transformation meets visual expression? When Caoimhe Harrison came to me, she wasn’t just looking for new photos. She was mid-evolution. Her coaching practice had deepened. Her energy had shifted. And the version of her that existed online no longer matched the woman she was becoming. She didn’t need a rebrand. […]

Founder standing in natural light with calm authority, representing the long-term ROI of personal brand photography and visual trust-building

(For the Financial Brains Who Don’t Get It Yet) Let’s talk numbers. Just not the ones you’re used to. If you’re financially minded, you’ve probably asked this question before:“How does photography actually pay me back?” It’s fair. You’re not looking for vibes.You want leverage. Personal brand photography often gets dismissed as “nice to have” because […]

Premium brand photographer commanding authority during high-end personal brand photography session

Most photographers compete on price. The best ones don’t compete at all. If you’ve ever looked at photographer pricing and wondered why some charge $500 while others charge $5,000 for what looks like the same service, you’re asking the right question. The answer isn’t about skill. It’s about authority. Two photographers can have identical technical […]

Elevated Realism™ editorial personal brand portrait symbolizing intentional preparation, clarity, and visual authority before a personal brand photoshoot

A Free Download for Aligned, Effortless Shoots Most photoshoots fail before the camera ever comes out. Not because of lighting.Not because of gear.Not because of posing. They fail because of misalignment. People show up hoping the camera will figure out what they haven’t clarified yet.And the result is predictable. Good photos.Wrong signal. This checklist exists […]

Elevated Realism™ editorial personal brand portrait expressing coherence, authority, and identity alignment, introducing what’s included in an Elevated Realism™ shoot

2026 Packages This isn’t coverage. It’s coherence. An Elevated Realism™ shoot isn’t designed to give you more photos.It’s designed to give you clarity, consistency, and authority across your entire brand ecosystem. Every element of the experience exists to solve one problem:Your current visuals no longer reflect who you’ve become. Here’s exactly what’s included in an […]

About the Blogger

I was born in a low middle class conservative religious family in the suburbs of Seattle. Art was and always has been my passion, and more than that a way of life. Starting as a graphic designer, I taught myself photography, built a commercial/editorial business shooting for the worlds biggest brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Adidas and more. I've also had the opportunity to photograph the world's biggest celebrities like Justin Bieber, Usher, Jessica Alba and more. I've curated a lifestyle around creativity and have learned a lot along the way which I get to share here. 

I was born in a low middle class conservative religious family in the suburbs of Seattle. Art was and always has been my passion, and more than that a way of life. Starting as a graphic designer, I taught myself photography, built a commercial/editorial business shooting for the worlds biggest brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Adidas and more. I've also had the opportunity to photograph the world's biggest celebrities like Justin Bieber, Usher, Jessica Alba and more. I've curated a lifestyle around creativity and have learned a lot along the way which I get to share here. 

NICK'S STORY