A lot of us have a conflicted relationship with food, but lately I’ve been tapping into the idea of finding joy in eating. Experiencing the tastes, smells, thoughts, and feelings of enjoying a meal. Food is a central part of every human culture and a big part of the human experience! I talk about food as a way of connecting to yourself or a location and the new food tours I'm leading this summer. Then I speak with Phil the Blerd Explorer (@theblerdexplorer) about food in Korean culture and his new ebook, The Black Travelers' Guide to Daegu South Korea. | @ibmarkwest | www.heymarkwest.com --- Check out a Mark West foodie adventure through Tour Chicago: www.tourthechi.com  With your booking, you also support Palenque LSNA, a woman of color led nonprofit organization serving the residents of Logan Square. Palenque LSNA is a catalyst for Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities and allies to take care of one another and take strategic action for systemic change and a just, resilient, and joyful future. | www.palenquelsna.org --- Phil The Blerd Explorer is an avid traveler and travel content creator based in South Korea. Blerd, means Black Nerd. He aims to produce travel information from the viewpoint of a Black person in an effort to demonstrate to the community how traveling the world can be an enriching and life-changing experience.  About the Book: “Over the years black tourism has grown into a billion dollar industry. It's a wonderful feeling to see more black travel content on social media. Unfortunately our presence is still minimum compared to other demographics. The Blerd Explorer has returned to create a new travel guide for black people by black people. This guide will focus on one of the largest cities in Korea, daegu. For the first time, readers will be able to read stories from other Black people who have lived in Korea.” Check out his ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Travelers-Guide-Daegu-South-ebook/dp/B092R7LRPL

This episode is edited and produced with music and other features in the Real Talk with Mark West episode, "#26: The Art of Living | D'ya Eat?" A lot of us have a conflicted relationship with food, but lately I’ve been tapping into the idea of finding joy in eating. Experiencing the tastes, smells, thoughts, and feelings of enjoying a meal. Food is a central part of every human culture and a big part of the human experience! I talk about food as a way of connecting to yourself or a location and the new food tours I'm leading this summer. Then I speak with Phil the Blerd Explorer (@theblerdexplorer) about food in Korean culture and his new ebook, The Black Travelers' Guide to Daegu South Korea. | @ibmarkwest | www.heymarkwest.com --- Check out a Mark West foodie adventure through Tour Chicago: www.tourthechi.com With your booking, you also support Palenque LSNA, a woman of color led nonprofit organization serving the residents of Logan Square. Palenque LSNA is a catalyst for Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities and allies to take care of one another and take strategic action for systemic change and a just, resilient, and joyful future. | www.palenquelsna.org --- Phil The Blerd Explorer is an avid traveler and travel content creator based in South Korea. Blerd, means Black Nerd. He aims to produce travel information from the viewpoint of a Black person in an effort to demonstrate to the community how traveling the world can be an enriching and life-changing experience. About the Book: “Over the years black tourism has grown into a billion dollar industry. It's a wonderful feeling to see more black travel content on social media. Unfortunately our presence is still minimum compared to other demographics. The Blerd Explorer has returned to create a new travel guide for black people by black people. This guide will focus on one of the largest cities in Korea, daegu. For the first time, readers will be able to read stories from other Black people who have lived in Korea.” Check out his ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Travelers-Guide-Daegu-South-ebook/dp/B092R7LRPL

My friend Tracey Redding from the Art Institute of Chicago (@artinstitutechi) joins me to talk art, beauty, and anime. Beauty has become a sore subject in today's world, understandably so. It stirs up a sense of anxiety, fear, and, at times, self-hatred. I recently came to the realization that beauty is an essential part of a fulfilling life, and to seek out beauty in the world is to find the beauty within you. @ibmarkwest | www.heymarkwest.com --- Mark West's Art of Living | Family Meal - Are You on The List? I believe the best dining experiences are the ones in which we’re seated around a table sharing food and stories with others. Family Meal is a dining experience where the goal is to deepen human connections through food, while learning something new about the city. Once a month, I curate a progressive, fine dining experience for me and 12 guests at one of Chicago's many great restaurants. Invitations with event details are sent monthly via email only to those on The List.  Visit heymarkwest.com/familymeal to learn more.

This episode is edited and produced with music and other features in the Real Talk with Mark West episode, "#25: The Art of Living | I am Beautiful". My friend Tracey Redding from the Art Institute of Chicago (@artinstitutechi) joins me to talk art, beauty, and anime. Beauty has become a sore subject in today's world, understandably so. It stirs up a sense of anxiety, fear, and, at times, self-hatred. I recently came to the realization that beauty is an essential part of a fulfilling life, and to seek out beauty in the world is to find the beauty within you. @ibmarkwest | www.heymarkwest.com --- Mark West's Art of Living | Family Meal - Are You on The List?I believe the best dining experiences are the ones in which we’re seated around a table sharing food and stories with others. Family Meal is a dining experience where the goal is to deepen human connections through food, while learning something new about the city. Once a month, I curate a progressive, fine dining experience for me and 12 guests at one of Chicago's many great restaurants. Invitations with event details are sent monthly via email only to those on The List. Visit heymarkwest.com/familymeal to learn more.

Travel is more than just escaping the everyday grind and forgetting about what's back home; it's a necessary ingredient to a full and happy life! I share my experiences traveling to China as a young actor performing at various Universities, and the lessons it taught me. Then, my BFF Christina Roman (@the_roman_empirec) joins me from Phoenix to talk about the importance of travel, her run in with an angry bull, and meeting a Princess in Mexico. @ibmarkwest | www.heymarkwest.com  For more content on Travel and my travel experiences, visit: https://www.heymarkwest.com/art-of-living-travel

This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the Real Talk with Mark West episode, "#23: The Art of Living | Travel" Travel is more than just escaping the everyday grind and forgetting about what's back home; it's a necessary ingredient to a full and happy life! My BFF Christina Roman (@the_roman_empirec) joins me from Phoenix to talk about the importance of travel, her run in with an angry bull, and meeting a Princess in Mexico. @ibmarkwest | www.heymarkwest.com  For more content on Travel and my travel experiences, visit: https://www.heymarkwest.com/art-of-living-travel

It’s a deep truth held by psychology that is carried in many religious traditions. It is also a key part of philosophy. Each of us is just as much defined by who our friends and family are, how we treat them and are treated by them, by whom we love and what we love to do. Mary Runestad is one of my childhood educators and mentors who joins me today to talk about the misinterpretation of Happiness and the inner landscape of our lives. She sheds light on "the invisible world” that is constantly intertwining with what we can know and see, and the simple beauty of being alive and human. From mystical wisdom, dogmatic religion, to modern confusions and longings, does this have an impact on who we are, how we feel about ourselves, and whether we can achieve happiness? For more content visit www.heymarkwest.com| @ibmarkwest

This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the Real Talk with Mark West episode, "#22: The Art of Living | I'm Invisible." It’s a deep truth held by psychology that is carried in many religious traditions. It is also a key part of philosophy. Each of us is just as much defined by who our friends and family are, how we treat them and are treated by them, by whom we love and what we love to do. Mary Runestad is one of my childhood educators and mentors who joins me today to talk about the misinterpretation of Happiness and the inner landscape of our lives. She sheds light on "the invisible world” that is constantly intertwining with what we can know and see, and the simple beauty of being alive and human. From mystical wisdom, dogmatic religion, to modern confusions and longings, does this have an impact on who we are, how we feel about ourselves, and whether we can achieve happiness? For more content visit www.heymarkwest.com| @ibmarkwest

Today, I'm kicking off my new series, Mark West's Art of Living: Creating Your Own Happiness! I've got fun episodes and live events lined up as I share ways to tap into the Art of Living and start Creating Happiness! But what does any of that mean? Especially in the toxic positivity world we live in. I'm not looking for more branded self-care, I want some lasting solutions. So, first I want to figure out, what is happiness? I take answers from different people as I try to find out. | Get more content at www.heymarkwest.com | @ibmarkwest

I'm super excited to be releasing EPISODE NO. 20! To celebrate, I want to kick-off a new series talking about an art form I believe everyone can benefit from. Plus, READING IS FUNDAMENTAL! Did I tell you about my audiobook? | More content at: www.heymarkwest.com | Instagram: @ibmarkwest --- Audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/B09P9TCMQK/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWU-BK-ACX0-291739&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_291739_pd_us