STOPTIME: Live in the Moment.

STOPTIME: Live in the Moment.

Ranked in the top 5% of podcasts globally and winner of the 2022 Communicator Award for Podcasting, STOPTIME:Live in the Moment combines mindfulness, well being and the performing arts and features thought provoking and motivational conversations with high performing creative artists around practicing the art of living in the moment and embracing who we are, and where we are at. Long form interviews are interspersed with brief solo episodes that prompt and invite us to think more deeply. Hosted by Certified Professional Coach Lisa Hopkins, featured guests are from Broadway, Hollywood and beyond. Although her guests are extraordinary innovators and creative artists, the podcast is not about showbiz and feels more like listening to an intimate coaching conversation as Lisa dives deep with her talented guests about the deeper meaning behind why they do what they do and what they’ve learned along the way. Lisa is a Certified Professional Coach, Energy Leadership Master Practitioner and CORE Performance Dynamics Specialist at Wide Open Stages. She specializes in working with high-performing creative artists who want to play full out. She is a passionate creative professional with over 20 years working in the performing arts industry as a director, choreographer, producer, writer and dance educator. STOPTIME Theme by Philip David Stern🎶

🌟✨📚 **Buy ‘The Places Where There Are Spaces: Cultivating A Life of Creative Possibilities’** 📚✨🌟
Dive into a world where spontaneity leads to creativity and discover personal essays that inspire with journal space to reflect. Click the link below to grab your copy today and embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected joys! 🌈👇
🔗 [Purchase Your Copy Here](https://a.co/d/d3FLZRo)

🌟 **Interested in finding out more about working with Lisa Hopkins? Want to share your feedback or be considered as a guest on the show?**
🔗 Visit [Wide Open Stages](https://www.wideopenstages.com)

📸 **Follow Lisa on Instagram:** [@wideopenstages](https://www.instagram.com/wideopenstages/)

💖 **SUPPORT THE SHOW:** [Buy Me a Coffee](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/STOPTIME)

🎵 **STOPTIME Theme Music by Philip David Stern**
🔗 [Listen on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/57A87Um5vok0uEtM8vWpKM?si=JOx7r1iVSbqAHezG4PjiPg)

Aimee Stevland: The Art of Seeing Differently

What happens when the way you've always expressed yourself is no longer possible? And what might become visible when you're invited to see things differently?

In this inspiring and thought-provoking conversation, Lisa Hopkins welcomes visual artist and author Aimee Stevland, whose creative journey is as much about honoring others as it is about rediscovering herself.

Growing up in Detroit, Aimee found refuge in drawing and inspiration in the music that surrounded her. What began as a childhood fascination with album covers and cartoons evolved into a career creating artwork for some of music's biggest names. But when focal dystonia affected her ability to draw, the life and identity she'd built around her artistry were suddenly called into question.

Rather than simply trying to reclaim what she'd lost, Aimee began exploring new ways to create—through music, movement, roller skating, and eventually a distinctive visual style that would become the foundation of her book, Portraits of Excellence.

At the heart of her work is a commitment to respect, representation, and amplification. Through her portraits, Aimee celebrates the Black musicians and cultural pioneers whose contributions have too often been overlooked, inviting us to see not only their extraordinary achievements but also their humanity.

Together, Lisa and Aimee explore the relationship between creativity and identity, the freedom that comes from moving beyond familiar ways of doing things, and the power of recognizing possibilities in ourselves that we may not yet see.

Along the way, they discover something unexpected about the art of seeing—and being seen.

In this episode, you'll explore:

How creativity can offer refuge, connection, and a sense of belonging.

What happens when our identity becomes intertwined with what we do.

Finding new forms of expression when familiar ones are no longer available.

The importance of respectful representation and amplifying overlooked voices.

How music and movement can reconnect us with ourselves.

The difference between recognizing someone's accomplishments and truly seeing their humanity.

Why living in the moment might be less about striving and more about simply being.

From the rhythms of Detroit to the wisdom of Mary Oliver, this conversation is a celebration of creativity, resilience, cultural appreciation, and the extraordinary possibilities that emerge when we allow ourselves to see differently.

About Aimee Stevland

Aimee Stevland is a visual artist and author whose work celebrates the Black musicians and cultural pioneers who have shaped American music and popular culture. Drawing on decades of experience in music merchandising and illustration, she creates distinctive portraits that honor artistic excellence, challenge historical omissions, and invite a more inclusive understanding of cultural legacy.

If you are enjoying the show please subscribe, share and review! Word of mouth is incredibly impactful and your support is much appreciated!

🌟✨📚 **Buy 'The Places Where There Are Spaces: Cultivating A Life of Creative Possibilities'** 📚✨🌟
Dive into a world where spontaneity leads to creativity and discover personal essays that inspire with journal space to reflect. Click the link below to grab your copy today and embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected joys! 🌈👇
🔗 Purchase Your Copy Here: https://a.co/d/2UlsmYC
🌟 **Interested in finding out more about working with Lisa Hopkins? Want to share your feedback or be considered as a guest on the show?**
🔗 Visit Wide Open Stages https://www.wideopenstages.com

📸 **Follow Lisa on Instagram:** @wideopenstages https://www.instagram.com/wideopenstages/
💖 **SUPPORT THE SHOW:** [Buy Me a Coffee] https://www.buymeacoffee.com/STOPTIME
🎵 **STOPTIME Theme Music by Philip David Stern**
🔗 [Listen on Spotify]
https://open.spotify.com/artist/57A87Um5vok0uEtM8vWpKM?si=JOx7r1iVSbqAHezG4PjiPg