Was It Chance?

People talk about manifestation as a thing that you can just think into existence. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. When it comes to making your creative dreams come true, what really matters is putting yourself in a position to thoughtfully and intelligently take advantage of the opportunities presented to you. And sometimes these opportunities show up in very unexpected ways. We’re Heather Vickery and Alan Seales, two perfect strangers who met by chance and embraced opportunity! Listen in as we chat with other successful people about the risks they took, and continue taking, to put themselves on a path to creative success. WAS IT CHANCE? The podcast about embracing opportunity and taking intentional risks for your creative life.

Was It Chance? is a arts podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 119 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Was It Chance?, a arts show with 119 episodes published.

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  Episode #119

  #119 - Loki Mulholland: History Isn’t Finished, It’s Waiting for You

  Sep 8, 20261h 14m

  Loki Mulholland grew up with a civil rights icon Joan Trumpauer Mulholland for a mom, but like most kids, he mostly just knew her as Mom. It wasn’t until he saw her in his history books that he began to understand the extraordinary role she had played in the Civil Rights Movement. In 2011, Loki picked up a camera to tell her story, never realizing that one documentary would lead to a career making films about civil rights, racism, voting rights, and the stories that too often get left out of history. In this episode, Loki talks about following creative opportunities before he even realized where they were leading him, accidentally becoming “the guy who does all the civil rights movies,” and eventually making that work an intentional part of his life. We talk about his new book, Get Back to the Counter, his foundation and educational work, the responsibility of preserving these stories, and why he believes we need to remember not just the history of injustice, but the people who stood up and did something about it. Oh, and there’s also the story of how Loki got accidentally trapped in Russia at 20 years old. Connect with Loki: Visit Loki’s website: lokimulholland.com Learn more about Get Back to the Counter: getbacktothecounter.com ✊ Learn more about the Joan Trumpauer Mulholland Foundation: joantrumpauermulholland.org Follow Loki on Instagram: @lokimulholland Connect with Loki on LinkedIn: Loki Mulholland on LinkedIn Follow Loki on TikTok: @lokimulholland Connect With Us: Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wasitchancepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Was It Chance? on your favorite podcast platform Connect with us on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ✨ More about Heather at her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to her Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and more⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Heather's Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Reading Well⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EPISODE TAKEAWAYS You don't always know what your creative path is becoming while you're on it. Sometimes the opportunity sitting directly in front of you is the one you need to pursue. A creative project can become a calling without ever being part of the original plan. Our parents can influence us in ways we don't fully understand until much later. Telling stories can be a form of activism and a way of preserving history. You don't have to follow someone else's path to continue their legacy. When you have a platform, there can be a responsibility to use it. History isn't finished. It's waiting for the people who are willing to keep doing the work. Progress can be fragile, which makes remembering the people who fought for it even more important. Sometimes taking the next step is enough to reveal the path you're actually supposed to be on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Episode #117

  #117 - Diana Colleen: The Book She Never Planned to Write

  Jul 21, 20261h 1m

  Diana Colleen found healing, then trusted the story that wouldn't let go. Sometimes the biggest creative risk isn't starting something new. It's believing you're the right person to do it. Diana Colleen never imagined she'd write a novel, but after life-changing psychedelic-assisted therapy helped her heal from profound childhood trauma, an idea arrived during meditation that simply refused to leave. That idea became They Could Be Saviors, a climate thriller that asks one wild question: What if the people with the most power were forced to confront their own humanity? In this episode, Diana opens up about surviving an incredibly difficult childhood, rebuilding her life, quitting a job that no longer served her, and learning to trust both herself and the people willing to support her. We also dive into the realities of writing a debut novel from scratch, the steep learning curve of self-publishing, why comparison can rob creators of joy, and how surrounding yourself with generous, creative people can change everything. It's an honest conversation about healing, courage, and saying yes to the creative work that won't stop calling your name. Connect with Diana Colleen: Website: https://dianacolleenauthor.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianacolleenauthor TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dianacolleenauthor They Could Be Saviors is available wherever books are sold. Connect With Us: Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wasitchancepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Was It Chance? on your favorite podcast platform Connect with us on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ✨ More about Heather at her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to her Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and more⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Heather's Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Reading Well⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EPSIODE TAKEAWAYS: Healing yourself can become the foundation for your greatest creative work. You don't need to feel qualified before saying yes to a creative calling. Trusting others can be just as difficult, and just as important, as trusting yourself. First drafts are supposed to be imperfect. Learning happens through revision. Comparison can fuel growth, but only if you don't let it define your worth. Building a supportive creative community makes difficult work possible. Success often requires learning skills far beyond your original craft. Creativity doesn't always arrive through force. Sometimes it appears when you create space through stillness. The stories that won't leave you alone are often the ones you're meant to tell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Episode #116

  #116 - Carmella Lowkis: The Plot Was Always the Plan

  Jul 7, 20261h 7m

  Author Carmella Lowkis joins Was It Chance to talk about the intentional path she built toward becoming a published novelist. From working in her childhood library to strategically entering the publishing industry, Carmella shares how every career decision was made with one goal in mind: writing the kinds of historical gothic novels she wanted to see on bookstore shelves. She also opens up about the eight-year journey of writing her debut, what she learned from being mentored by bestselling authors, and why understanding the publishing business can be just as important as mastering the craft of writing. With Alan away covering the Cats: The Jellicle Ball red carpet, Heather is joined by special guest co-host Alesia Galati, founder of Gulati Media and host of Podcasting Unlocked and We Read Smut, for a lively conversation that wanders through queer representation in literature, historical fiction, gothic storytelling, publishing realities, BookTok, creative risk, and the importance of writing stories that entertain while leaving readers thinking long after the final page. Carmella also gives us a sneak peek at her next novel featuring rival alchemists in Renaissance Prague, proving she's continuing to stretch creatively while staying true to the stories she loves to tell. Connect With Us: 📩 Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wasitchancepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow Was It Chance? on your favorite podcast platform 📱 Connect with us on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ✨ More about Heather at her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to her Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and more⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Heather's Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Reading Well⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Sometimes the biggest creative risk is committing to a long-term plan and trusting it will eventually pay off. Learning the business side of your creative industry can be just as valuable as developing your artistic skills. Historical fiction gives forgotten and marginalized voices the opportunity to reclaim their place in history. Success in publishing, like many creative industries, is part craft, part strategy, and part timing. Understanding your audience doesn't diminish your creativity. It helps your work find the people who need it. Creative careers are built over time, not through a single breakthrough moment. Failure is easier to navigate when you stop treating every setback as a personal reflection of your worth. The best stories entertain first, then inspire readers to keep asking questions long after they've finished. Planning your creative work doesn't eliminate inspiration. It gives inspiration a stronger foundation. Following your curiosity often leads to the most meaningful creative work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Was It Chance?

  #115 - Alexandra Beller: Trusting the Dance Before You Know the Steps

  Jun 24, 202656 min

  What if creativity isn't about setting the perfect goal, but about learning to trust yourself in the unknown? In this episode, Heather and Alan sit down with choreographer, educator, somatic practitioner, and author Alexandra Beller for a conversation that moves far beyond dance. Alexandra shares how a lifetime of listening to her body, embracing uncertainty, and following curiosity led her from performing with a world-renowned dance company to creating her own work, teaching artists, and helping others reconnect with their intuition. Together, they explore the relationship between the mind and body, the difference between goals and drive, why modern culture has taught us to outsource our self-trust, and how creativity thrives when we stop demanding certainty. Alexandra also discusses her upcoming book, The Anatomy of Art, and explains why failure is not the opposite of success but a necessary part of invention, growth, and becoming who we are meant to be. If you've ever struggled to trust your instincts, felt trapped by expectations, or wondered how to create more authentically, this conversation offers a refreshing perspective on what it means to embrace uncertainty and create yourself intentionally. Alexandra Beller is a choreographer, movement educator, somatic practitioner, and author whose work bridges the worlds of dance, embodiment, creativity, and personal transformation. A former member of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, she spent seven years performing internationally before launching her own acclaimed choreographic career. Alexandra has taught at institutions including Princeton University and has created work for stages across the United States. Through her teaching, coaching, and writing, she helps artists and non-artists alike cultivate deeper self-awareness, creative confidence, and trust in their own inner wisdom. Her upcoming book, The Anatomy of Art, explores how artists can reclaim intuition and develop a more embodied creative practice. Connect with Alexandra: Website: AlexandraBellerDances.org Book: The Anatomy of Art (available for pre-order) Connect With Us: 📩 Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wasitchancepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow Was It Chance? on your favorite podcast platform 📱 Connect with us on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ✨ More about Heather at her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to her Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and more⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Heather's Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Reading Well⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: Creativity requires a willingness to stay in conversation with the unknown. The body often knows things long before the mind can articulate them. Somatic awareness is the practice of listening to the ongoing conversation between mind and body. Goals and drive are not the same thing; you can be deeply motivated without needing a fixed destination. Self-trust is built by paying attention to your own internal metrics instead of relying solely on outside validation. Failure is often the gap between what we hoped would happen and what actually happened. Learning, growth, and invention all require repeated failure. Creating yourself is an intentional act, while becoming is a natural process. Artists thrive when they prioritize curiosity over certainty. The strongest creative work emerges when we stop performing for approval and start expressing what is genuinely true for us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Episode #113

  #113 - Tiffany Crum: This Story Might Save Your Life: A Podcast Episode

  May 26, 20261h 19m

  Author Tiffany Crum joins Alan and Heather to talk about the twenty-year journey behind her breakout debut novel, This Story Might Save Your Life. From growing up on a dairy farm next to a maximum-security prison to working in the film industry, getting fired from Warner Bros. after accidentally insulting her boss over company chat, and writing multiple novels that never sold, Tiffany opens up about the long road to becoming a published author and eventual New York Times bestseller. The conversation dives into the persistence required to survive the publishing industry, how motherhood reshaped Tiffany’s priorities, and why she finally gave herself permission to write the book she actually wanted to read: a genre-bending thriller and love story inspired in part by true crime podcasts like My Favorite Murder. She also shares the emotional story of her son writing a college essay about watching her chase her dreams for nearly two decades and how that became one of the proudest moments of her life. Plus, Tiffany breaks down her unusual writing process of drafting entire scenes through voice memos while walking her dogs, the collaborative process behind creating the audiobook with narrators Julia Whelan and Sean Patrick Hopkins, and the surreal moment she found out she’d become a New York Times bestseller after assuming it would never happen. Connect With Us: 📩 Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wasitchancepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow Was It Chance? on your favorite podcast platform 📱 Connect with us on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ✨ More about Heather at her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to her Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and more⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Heather's Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Reading Well⁠⁠⁠⁠ EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Sometimes the creative breakthrough comes when you stop trying to fit into a market and finally write the thing you genuinely want to read. Persistence matters more than speed. Tiffany spent nearly twenty years writing, revising, failing, and starting over before publishing her debut novel. Creative dreams often require public accountability. Declaring “I’m going to be a writer” changed Tiffany’s relationship to the goal. Failure is not wasted work. The unpublished novels helped Tiffany become the writer capable of creating the book that finally sold. Children learn from watching how adults pursue meaning, not just from what adults say. A supportive creative community can make rejection survivable. Drafting creatively does not have to look traditional. Tiffany built much of her writing process around voice memos and long walks. Publishing success can arrive suddenly after years of invisible work. Audiobooks are becoming a major part of how readers experience stories and can meaningfully expand the emotional world of a book. The “overnight success” story is usually decades in the making. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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