Tonight’s episode is a wild ride with artist, author, circus kid, and spiritual wayfarer Dave “Letterfly” Knoderer, a man whose life story is splashed in vivid color across circus tents, chrome bikes, and the pages of five unforgettable books.
From performing with dancing horses to pinstriping Harleys across the country, Dave’s journey winds through recovery, reconnection, and relentless reinvention. He shares how writing emerged from his sobriety work, how a childhood shaped by misunderstanding gave way to healing, and why he believes every hardship might just be a divine invitation to grow.
We talk about:
Life inside the tented circus—and what happens when the tents come down
The evolution from painter-for-hire to spiritual storyteller
Healing a broken father-son bond on the road with a carnival
Facing addiction, grief, and estranged family with creativity and grace
His free guidebook Hit the Road and Thrive — a call to chase your dream, even if you never leave home
Along the way, we hear original stories and poems written as tributes to Dave’s life—including The Painted Road, Letterfly: The Man Who Painted His Way Home, and a Western-style poem The Brush Rider that captures his legacy of artistry and soul.
Whether you’re chasing freedom or just trying to make sense of life’s chaos, this episode will leave you inspired to pick up your own brush—and paint a life that’s true.
Get Dave’s free book & explore his art at: letterfly.com
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.