November 12, 2025 • 49 mins
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What happens when your talent starts steering your life before you’re old enough to drive it? We sit down with actor and singer Nick Barasch to trace the tender, sometimes turbulent path from child performer to self-possessed adult artist—and the surprising practices that made space for joy along the way.
Nick opens up about the thrill and pressure of growing up on stage, the moment he chose agency over autopilot, and how therapy reframed his relationship with perfectionism and approval. We dig into Thema Bryant’s Homecoming, the art of telling yourself the truth, and why meditation and simple rituals help him return to his body when the industry’s noise gets loud. He shares the difference between structure imposed by schedules and structure you design for yourself—projects, community, and habits that won’t vanish between gigs.
You’ll also hear the unexpected magic of TV life in Vancouver, how variety refreshed his craft after eight-show weeks, and the friends who helped him loosen the screws on self-critique. We explore fear, inner critics, and the practical work of giving those voices a new job. Nick’s core values come through clearly: integrity, kindness, justice, and curiosity. He talks candidly about solitude versus isolation, building a life that’s bigger than work, and a future that might include Santa Fe, more service, and a steady practice of gratitude.
If you’ve ever chased perfection, felt pulled by others’ expectations, or wondered how to build a rhythm you can keep when the curtain falls, this conversation is your permission slip. Press play, then tell us what ritual brings you back to yourself. If the show resonated, follow, rate, and share with a friend who could use a gentler definition of success.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lisa Hopkins (00:23):
Today is the Stop Time Podcast.
I'm your host, Lisa Hopkins,and I'm here to engage you in
thought-provoking motivationalconversations around practicing
the art of living in the moment.
I'm a certified life coach, andI'm excited to dig deep and
offer insights into embracingwho we are and where we are at.
(00:49):
Hey.
Oh my gosh.
How are you?
I love it.
Oh, I'm so happy that we we getto speak with you.
Nick Barasch (01:02):
Thank you too.
Thank you for having me.
I was thinking about, I mean,we go the farthest back from
most people in my life, likecrazy.
Lisa Hopkins (01:14):
Yeah, I know.
It is really crazy.
I I kept thinking how specialit would be to speak with you.
Nick Barasch (01:20):
Oh, same, same, same.
Lisa Hopkins (01:23):
So I had the joy of working with my next guest
when he was just nine years old.
And even then, his gift wasundeniable.
He had that rare spark, thevoice of an angel, and a work
ethic well beyond his years.
You could tell he was destinedfor something extraordinary.
(01:46):
And he's more than delivered onthat promise.
On Broadway, he starred inPirates, the Penzance musical,
earning the Clarence DerwentAward and Drama Desk nomination,
as well as in She Loves Me,where he received a Theater
World Award along with DramaDesk and Outer Critic Circle
nominations.
His credits also include TheMystery of Edwin Drude, West
(02:08):
Side Story, and the firstnational tour of Hades Town,
where he played Orpheus.
Boy, I would have liked to haveseen that one.
Off Broadway, his performancein The Butcher Boy at Irish
Repertory Theater was met withcritical acclaim and earned
nominations from the Drama Desk,Outer Critic Circle, and
Lucille Lortel Awards, to name afew.
You may know him as JulianBlossom on Riverdale, but I know
(02:31):
him as a beautiful human with avoice that moves, a heart that
shines, and a dedication to hiscraft that's been there from the
very, very beginning.
It's an absolute joy, truly, towelcome him here today.
Nicholas Barash, welcome to theshow.
Nick Barasch (02:49):
That made me like kind of emotional, that intro.
I don't know how I can live upto that, but thank you for
having me.
My gosh.
Lisa Hopkins (02:56):
Listen, it wouldn't matter what you did.
I I really believe this.
I really believe in the humanbehind the headlines.
I mean, that's what you choseto do.
That's where you chose to putyour energy.
And yeah, you have a gift, butyou're a gifted human.
And I believe that no matterwhat you do, that you would do
it with the same ethic, the samelight.
I do.
Nick Barasch (03:17):
Thank you.
I it's so funny that you saythat I that I had a work ethic
back then at nine years old.
Like, I'm curious to know whatyou thought of me as like a
because I must have been.
I was a very hard-working kid,but it's funny.
Lisa Hopkins (03:29):
Like some people's work ethic, you think about you
see them, you see them trying,you see them working.
What I remember about you, andand you know, let's let's you
know, let's be clear.
When there's a child, he'sgonna be well, your mom was
bringing you, right?
Your mom was around, yeah.
But your mom was amazing, shewas not a staged or mom or is
(03:49):
amazing, you know.
So it was I never felt thepressure of that.
Yes, and I never felt that youfelt the pressure of that.
I don't know if you did, but Ididn't know.
Nick Barasch (04:00):
Yeah, so interesting.
Just looking back, and yeah,the people who knew me like way,
way back when it's justfascinating.
Um, because it does feel likeforever ago, but um beginning of
it all, and you were there forthat.
Lisa Hopkins (04:13):
So well, I mean, it's so funny, you know.
I I as I was thinking about youknow, talking to you, I was I
was thinking, yeah, I I honestlydon't even know where to begin,
except right.
Well, except with gratitude forbeing part of like this small
part of your journey, oh and andthen for bearing witness to
your growth, like that is likeyou can't money can't buy that.
Nick Barasch (04:35):
I know.
Oh my gosh, yeah, incredible.
And just I and the memories arevivid.
I mean, it was I was nine yearsold, but I remember being in
Arizona with everyone, and Iknow those huge stage.
I mean, I I was a little kidand we were playing like big
houses.
Um yeah, so that was such athrill.
It really was like opened myeyes to like, wow, what what
(04:57):
what this could look like.
Lisa Hopkins (04:59):
So yeah, no, that's that's amazing.
I love that.
Um, looking back actually now,if there's something that you
could tell nine-year-old Nick,what would it be?
Yeah.
Nick Barasch (05:10):
Oh gosh, I would probably, I mean, you know, I've
I've said this before, youknow, publicly, but I I was I
was definitely.
I mean, we talk about how I wasa hard worker.
I was, I became, I would say,too hard a worker as a kid.
And I think being in theindustry at that age, you know,
(05:30):
I I wouldn't recommend it toeveryone because it's it was
beautiful and I found what Iloved so early, but it also came
with a cost and stuff that I'mworking through in therapy now.
But no, I think if I were totalk to him, I would say, you
have time, you know, to justgrow up and be a kid.
And I think, you know, no, noyoung person truly believes
(05:54):
that.
They always want to race toadulthood.
And I think that was that wassped up just by the fact that I
was thrown into thisprofessional sphere.
Um, there was a I grew up alittle too fast, I would say.
So my advice to him would be,you know, maybe just hang hang
around in kid kiddom a littlelonger, you know.
Lisa Hopkins (06:18):
Yeah.
What what do you think would bedifferent had had he done that?
Had you done that.
Nick Barasch (06:23):
I think everything.
I mean, I talked to my parentsabout it too, because you know,
they have mixed feelings aboutit.
I mean, it was never, you know,it was always my passion that
they supported.
So it was very wholesome andorganic, but I would just be a
complete I have no idea.
I probably would have had amore normal quote unquote path.
I probably would have gone to afour-year college, which I did
(06:45):
not do.
And I have no idea.
I think I probably still wouldhave found performing and acting
and singing, but yeah, my mylife definitely I just had a
very specific path, and it'salways been that.
Lisa Hopkins (07:00):
Yeah.
So I'm curious to know, likewith you, as a child, you're
gonna listen to the people thatthat that love you and protect
you, and you have great parents.
So so you trusted them and theysaw something in you, and this
is what parents do.
I'm a parent, I get it.
Yes, you know, and they say,Oh, he seems to have this gift.
Let's find some opportunities.
Absolutely, right?
At what point, you know, it'sinteresting because your talent
(07:23):
then then was dictating, and youyou were just a young human, so
you know, it it just seemednatural and safe to keep
following that because it makeseverybody happy, you're good at
it, you're right, yeah,absolutely, yes.
Nick Barasch (07:42):
All all of the above.
Yes, I think it's it's it'sinteresting that you put it that
way, that the talent dictated.
It was almost like that wasleading, and I had to kind of
follow, you know, follow it andbeing plunged into this, yeah,
adult world.
But um, you know, it was yeah,it was it was really joyful.
(08:02):
I mean, I always enjoyed doingit.
Um, and so the love has alwaysbeen there, and that's what's
kept me going ultimately.
And the support, I mean, likeyou said, I had an amazing
support system and also teacherswho yeah, I mean, it would be
like I'd go to school, myparents would pick me up, we'd
like drive to my actingteacher's house because I'd have
(08:23):
some audition in the city thenext day for some huge project,
and we work on like Shakespearefor like three hours when I was
14, and then I'd like go homeand finish my homework, and then
like it was like a lot, but Ialso did love it.
So yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (08:39):
Well, I'm curious about the intersection of when
you started leading, because youdid, you've done that,
obviously.
I feel like you're in the leadnow of your career and of your
talent.
Yeah, yeah.
What where can you talk to meabout that intersection?
Nick Barasch (08:51):
Yeah, it's funny because I I remember doing the
mystery of Edwin Druid when Iwas 14, and it was like we were
living in the city at the time,and I like went to rehearsal on
the subway by myself, and thatwas like my dad, like was like,
Okay, like you you go down torehearsal by yourself.
And I remember my manager at acertain point stopped CCing my
(09:12):
parents on emails when I wasthat was maybe like 17, but you
know, it was like a slow kind ofa slow burn to adulthood.
Um, yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (09:23):
Well, is if I can with your permission, yeah, dig
in deeper to you.
So you're still talking aboutthe outside forces, you're
talking about your agents andyour parents giving you
permission to step intoadulthood.
But do you remember like a hauh uh aha moment where you felt
(09:43):
maybe, maybe I'm I don't know,where it became more your own
because it because you wantedit?
Nick Barasch (09:48):
Yeah, no, that's interesting.
Um yeah, I think it probably Imean, the she loves me era of it
all, like post-high school.
I decided to not go to college.
And that was a that was likeyou know, that was a decision
that my parents I honestly wellI ended up going to college, so
(10:09):
I took a gap year after highschool, and that was gonna be
the plan.
I would take a gap year, maybework, audition a bit, whatever,
and then go to college.
And I think they just wanted meto try it, and so I agreed to
that.
I I was gonna go to Columbiafull-time.
When I took a gap year, Ipostponed that and I reapplied
to their general studiesprogram.
So I ended up going part-timefor like a couple semesters
(10:33):
while auditioning.
And I was like, this is not forme.
Um, I, you know, I had to missclass a couple of times for
auditions, and I was like, well,what's the point?
I I can't, I cannot do both.
So I think that was I feltprobably like I had more agency
then because I was making thiscall that my parents were
supporting.
(10:53):
Um and again, it did come at acost.
I mean, that part of me wishesI went to college, not for the
education necessarily, but forthe community.
Like finding community for mehas taken a long time and kind
of has been like scatteredthroughout my 20s.
And I'm just starting to findmore of you know, more
(11:16):
community.
Um, so yeah, that was probablya turning point.
Uh, but I feel like it's asuccession of turning points.
I mean, even now I feel mucholder and perhaps wiser than I
did like even a year or two ago.
Um and you know, with mytherapist, we talk about how I
never really had a trueadolescence because it was kind
(11:39):
of like this pod of me, myparents, my manager, like it was
very insular, and I'm kind ofin an in an adolescence now in
my yeah, in my mid to late 20s.
So, you know.
Lisa Hopkins (11:53):
That's great though.
Nick Barasch (11:55):
Yeah, it is, it is, and yeah, what's that like?
Lisa Hopkins (11:57):
How does that feel?
Nick Barasch (11:59):
Feels good.
It feels like, you know, Ithink for the longest time, you
know, the business and my careerwas everything, my whole world,
and it no longer feels likethat in a positive way.
Um, I get to have a life too.
So that's something that I'mlike, hmm, yeah, that's good.
I like it's not life or death,you know, the stakes are not as
(12:22):
high as I always thought theywere, you know.
Lisa Hopkins (12:24):
Yeah, and and like I said, it's normal for a child
to think to feel, not reallythink, but to feel like the
stakes are high.
Yes, because the people thatare taking care of them, I mean,
we're primitively wired forthat.
So that it felt like that,right?
Nick Barasch (12:42):
Yes, totally, totally.
That was my reality.
So yeah, still no one's fault,but just how it happened.
Lisa Hopkins (12:49):
No, no, not it's totally natural.
That's the thing, totallynatural, but it can be well
traumatizing, quite quitehonestly.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, no, for sure.
And I bet you realized as soonas you started really stepping
into being connected to yourvalues, which it sounds like
you're still really opening upto that.
Nick Barasch (13:08):
Yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (13:09):
Um, but it sounds like uh there's probably a
realization that actually, no,your parents are totally aborted
no matter what you decide.
Right, of course, and that youtake care of yourself, right?
Nick Barasch (13:21):
Like, yeah, you know, yeah, yeah, that kind of
separating process.
Lisa Hopkins (13:27):
Yeah.
Wow, that's so interesting.
I love that.
That alone is just is well sofascinating to me, especially
having having known you then.
And then, like, there've beensome like touch points, like you
you just you did Jekyll with usfor um and yeah, that was
actually that was the beginning,the very beginning of my gap
year.
Nick Barasch (13:45):
That was like, I am free and I'm gonna take a gap
year.
And that was one of the firstprojects I did was with you
guys, yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (13:52):
Oh, that's so neat.
Nick Barasch (13:53):
I was that was right after she loved me, so I
was 18.
Yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (13:55):
And I bet you you weren't doing that because you
thought it was some big careermove, even though I'm sure you
loved the work.
Why did you do it?
Nick Barasch (14:03):
Well, you guys asked, and I love you guys, and
it was and it was also like agreat challenge.
Like I remember it was a lot,it was like a lot of material,
it was the lead role.
And um, I also had performed at54 below, and it was a fun
week.
I knew some other folksinvolved, and yeah, yeah, and it
was fruitful.
I mean, and that was also kindof like ooh, I get to just do
(14:28):
this, I don't have to do schoolanymore.
So that was kind of like agreat I canwid, yeah.
Act and sing, yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (14:36):
Yeah.
Well, that that's cool.
And we were kind of likeprobably there was as you're as
young Nick was sort of startingto you know fade into the into
the past.
I mean, he's always with you.
I mean, I really truly believethat.
But in turn, in terms of thatyoung Nick thinking, um, it's
interesting because maybe wewere a bridge, maybe this is a
sidebar, but a bridge because wewere like family in a way,
(14:57):
right?
Nick Barasch (14:58):
Yeah, totally.
And there have been momentslike that with with certain
people along the way.
I mean, even I mean, doingpirates, yeah.
I mean, Scott Ellis, WarrenCarlisle, Rupert Holmes, they've
known me since I was 13.
Lisa Hopkins (15:10):
Yeah.
Nick Barasch (15:11):
So while that was a a wonderful comfort in some
ways, and it was alsofrustrating because my my scared
little kid was often at theforefront of everything.
Lisa Hopkins (15:23):
For sure.
Nick Barasch (15:24):
So my my 13-year-old self was very
triggered, but it was but it butit was so necessary to like go
back almost and then kind ofcome out the other end as a
adult.
So it was kind of a cosmicthing.
Lisa Hopkins (15:39):
No, no, that makes perfect sense.
Yeah, that's and what and whata gift, right?
Nick Barasch (15:43):
Oh, what a gift, it's kind of like radical
acceptance, yes, yes, yeah,right, right.
Really going accepting thatthat that kid, yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (15:52):
Yeah, what do you think is maybe the biggest
lesson you've learned so far?
Nick Barasch (15:59):
Just in life, yeah.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, yeah, throw me asoftball, Lisa.
Um, the biggest lesson.
Ooh, I mean, I would say rightnow, I just have based, and a
lot of this is just being abeing an actor for so long.
(16:20):
I think I based a lot of myselfoff of others' opinions, yeah,
ideas of me.
I'm constantly worrying aboutwhat other people think of me,
and much less now because I'mreading this book called
Homecoming by Tema Bryant, who'samazing.
And just this idea of comingback home to yourself, that like
(16:42):
this is a home, and we're safein here.
And it's actually not aboutgetting that person's approval
or winning that person over.
I'm a chronic people pleaser,and so it's it's not about that.
So the more I um learn to letgo of that and come home to
myself, and like another, youknow, part of the theme of this
(17:06):
book is telling yourself thetruth, which feels like very
radical almost in our cultureright now, like to really be
honest with yourself, radicallyhonest, um, feels like just a
skill that I'm wanting toimprove.
Lisa Hopkins (17:21):
So why do you think that skill would would
benefit you now?
Nick Barasch (17:27):
I mean, it would honestly just relieve so much
stress about, you know, I'm anoverthinker, and I think, yeah,
the idea of coming home tomyself, to my body, there's a
letting go there that can happenand that I want to keep
cultivating, especially in acareer like this, in a life like
(17:49):
this, that's so aboutperformance.
Like, you know, I'm ameditator, and that also kind of
brings me back to myself.
And um, yeah, I think that thebenefits are endless and it's
free.
We can all do it, you know.
Like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (18:09):
No, 100%.
What what's the rhythm of yourday like?
Nick Barasch (18:13):
Uh I laugh because it it was it was a lot
different two and a half weeksago.
Yeah, true.
Uh yeah, I'm I'm still findingthe rhythm post eight show week,
which is like, I don't evenknow what that is.
It's just a blur of runningaround and surviving almost.
(18:34):
I mean, in this show, I mean, Idon't know if you know this.
I am not a dancer.
I mean, I oh come on.
Everybody's a dancer.
I I I, you know, I faked itwell, and Warren Carlisle turned
me into one, but I was justexhausted all the time.
I mean, the next time I havesomething that physical, I'll
know that I need to like reallywork out, take care of my body
(18:55):
in a way that's so so no, I'mjust finding my rhythm now.
I'm loving the freedom, thespace.
Lisa Hopkins (19:01):
Yeah, yeah.
Nick Barasch (19:02):
Uh, to not have every minute accounted for is a
luxury.
But I told myself after thisshow that I I need more
structure in my life, just ingeneral.
So finding that and morecommunity too, and just um
entering spaces that maybe Iwould have been afraid to, or
(19:23):
joining some class, or just youknow, giving myself uh structure
that so that it's not just theaudition or the the act, or you
know.
Lisa Hopkins (19:36):
Yeah.
It's interesting.
The word I sorry, I I harp onthe words with my clients.
I'm like, structure, that's aninteresting word choice,
especially for someone who'slived such a structured life,
structured by everything else.
Yeah.
So if you were to to maybe, Idon't know, reframe that word as
something that really workedfor you, about what you really
(19:58):
what what would that be?
Nick Barasch (20:00):
I mean, right, yes.
I I think honestly, like givingmyself projects, things that
I'm passionate about, thingsthat I can look forward to
working on every day, um, sothat I'm not at the beck and
call of some force that mightgrant me a job.
(20:21):
You know, it's like so.
I think it's more about, yeah,if if structure is not the word,
then it would be like, I don'tknow, self-actualization in my
days, like you know, somethingthat I set out to do that I
don't need anyone's kind ofanyone to sign off on, you know.
Lisa Hopkins (20:43):
Yeah.
It it's interesting becausewhat I'm hearing underneath what
you're saying is is balancethat won't be disrupted.
Yeah.
So so I understand what youmean.
Like it would make sense,knowing you and knowing just
even what you've just told me,that you're used to structure,
(21:05):
you're used to the structure ofan eight-week show or of an
agent, or you know, your wholelife has been structured.
Yeah.
Um, and I and I understand thatyou don't want to be at the
back and call.
However, you also acknowledgethat that is the life of an
actor.
Yeah.
So, but but when you saystructure and your brain knows
all that data, you could havebeen talking about what you do.
Nick Barasch (21:26):
Right, right.
Yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (21:28):
You said projects, you said work, yeah.
Passion.
That's exactly what you do,Nick.
Nick Barasch (21:32):
Yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (21:33):
You work on projects you're passionate
about.
And and what I'm hearing yousay is because you, you know,
you've grown, you've grownvertically, let's say, right?
You've grown, you've definitelyrisen, as they say, in in your
field, and will continue to.
There's no doubt if you want tokeep doing that, you will.
Um, and that's just about aseries of choices and and
opportunities and and a lot ofthings you can't control.
(21:55):
I know that if you want to doit, you will control your vessel
and you will take care of yourbody.
I know you will.
So I I don't I don't worryabout that.
But what I'm what I'm what I'mhearing, and you tell me if you
think this is true, because Icould be totally wrong.
But what I'm hearing is thatyou're you're yearning for
something that you create thatwon't go away when right?
(22:21):
That honor, it's like somethingyou honor and value, yes, that
doesn't go away when when youget drawn that way.
Nick Barasch (22:28):
Yeah, totally.
That's it.
That's it.
I think it's yes, finding um,yeah, more consistent kind of
outlets.
And they don't have to becreative.
I mean, it could be a sillyhobby, or it could just be, you
know, doing things with friendsthat I mean, I took a hike the
(22:48):
other day, you know, upstate,and that felt so you know, I
didn't tell anyone, you know, itwas by myself, you know.
I and it that in a way feltlike structure.
It could be that, you know, itfelt like um something that I
could go do that where I'm I'mthe leader, and I'm saying,
(23:09):
okay, we're going, we're goingon a hike now, you know.
Totally.
Lisa Hopkins (23:13):
You're the chef.
Yeah.
What I don't know if you cookor whatever, but I'm I what came
up for me was it's your ownrecipe.
You want to plot your ownrecipe.
Nick Barasch (23:21):
Love that.
Love that.
Yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (23:23):
So what do people most often get wrong about you?
Do you do you do you have asense of that?
Nick Barasch (23:28):
Yeah, I think, I mean, I think because I lead
with a lot of uh, you know, I'ma pretty kind of smiley, you
know, positive person, I wouldsay.
So I think people don't knowhow, I mean, for example, hard
on myself I am.
So I I shared that with them,or or how critical I am.
(23:53):
And I think that comes frombeing really critical of myself.
I mean, I don't know if youknow the Enneagram, but I'm a
one on the Enneagram.
Lisa Hopkins (24:01):
Okay.
Nick Barasch (24:01):
We're we're the perfectionists, we're the most
hard on ourselves.
Um and, you know, and I thinkthat is something that I
continue to work on because itit tightens me up in a way that
isn't helpful in in all ways.
So it's always for me likeloosening the the screws.
(24:22):
And um so yeah, people mightnot might not know that that's
kind of my that's what's goingon under under here.
Lisa Hopkins (24:30):
Is it even important that they know that to
you?
Nick Barasch (24:32):
Um, I mean, sometimes I think I I I think of
pirates because that's kind ofthe last yeah project I did, but
um I think it was important forsome people to know.
I mean, my my closest kind ofcastmates to just you know to
just hear me out and I can getto them.
And I mean, shout out to JinxMonsoon, who's become such a
(24:55):
pal, and she's just niceincredible, and also has a has a
bit of the overthinking thing.
Yeah, she she gets it and gotit and helped me through a lot
of spirals that I had, and uh sothat was nice to kind of yeah,
to share that and be heard,seen.
Lisa Hopkins (25:15):
Yeah, oh that's brilliant.
I love that.
What's the worst advice you'veever been given?
Nick Barasch (25:21):
Oh my goodness, it would probably be along the
lines of like, you know,probably like a some teacher
workshop that I took that wasjust so hellbent on results, I
think as an actor performer,like if you do this, you'll get
(25:42):
this.
Like any any of those likefalse promises that are just
like someone's BS kind of ideaof what you should do.
Yeah, so I don't know.
That's kind of vague, but no,that's that's not vague.
Yeah, I mean, yeah, if you ifyou act a certain way, if you
present yourself in this way,you will need something.
Like, what does that even mean?
Lisa Hopkins (26:04):
No, no, I love that.
Well, and this the wholeshoulding thing, right?
I mean, yes, the shoulding.
Well, I you know what I call Ishould?
I could with shame.
Nick Barasch (26:15):
Ooh, wow.
Yeah, that's real.
I could with shame.
Right.
There's so much shame in there.
Lisa Hopkins (26:27):
Yeah.
Nick Barasch (26:28):
From all angles, right?
Lisa Hopkins (26:31):
Oh, what are you the most afraid of?
Nick Barasch (26:35):
Oh, that's a fun one.
Um, ooh, man.
I mean, I think probably whatit used to be is.
I mean, it might sound like abroken record, but yeah, people,
you know, people being wrongabout me, people underestimating
me, people shaming me in someway.
(26:57):
I think I've spent a lot of mylife shaming myself.
So I think it's it's probablyan internal fear that comes from
my own kind of stuff.
I but I also think what'scoming to mind now is is
honestly holding myself back.
I think like getting in my ownway is a fear of mine.
(27:19):
Um and it's it's only me.
It's only me to contend with,you know, like but it's it's
something that I'm I think I'mslowly dismantling, or at least
I'm accepting when when thatfear is there, to accept that I
am afraid instead of being like,no, I'm not afraid.
Like maybe you are, and that'sokay, you know.
Lisa Hopkins (27:41):
Totally.
And you know, what I believe isthat these these our inner
critic, our gremlins, you know,these things that try to scare
us and make us feel small,they're just trying to keep us
safe.
Nick Barasch (27:55):
Yes, right.
Lisa Hopkins (27:57):
And we created them, right?
Nick Barasch (27:58):
The irony of that, yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (28:00):
What I've learned in you know, in in what I do now
is that people try to get ridof them.
Yes.
And what I propose is that youinvite them in and you get
curious and you say, I I'mgetting that message that I'm
not good enough, let's say, asan example, and you know, or you
(28:23):
know, I gotta kill myself inorder to succeed.
Right.
Um, and that that may havehelped me sometime.
And you could probably rememberwhen you first heard that
message.
But you invite your gremlin inand you say, Thank you.
Yeah, thank you for keeping mesafe.
It really helped.
Yeah, but guess what?
I don't need you for thatanymore.
(28:44):
But you don't have to go.
I have a new job for you.
Yes, something that you canreally help me.
It's rescripting, right?
Nick Barasch (28:51):
Oh, it's so good.
I'm curious what what it whatwould be the new job for those
grammars.
Lisa Hopkins (28:56):
That would be up to you.
Nick Barasch (28:58):
Yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (28:59):
Essentially, you take the old message, you get
curious and about it, you youremember when you you know how
it helped you.
You actually acknowledge thatit did help you at some point.
Right, it did help you from notbeing embarrassed.
If you didn't memorize yourlines for the school play, you
would be embarrassed.
Nick Barasch (29:15):
Right, right.
Lisa Hopkins (29:16):
All your friends would laugh at you, yeah.
I mean, that's real.
Nick Barasch (29:21):
Totally.
Lisa Hopkins (29:21):
Right?
But you're a professional now,yeah.
And and what happens is whathappens is that we carry these
old thing, old messages with usbecause we haven't taken the
time to a thank them, yeah, andand to update them with a new
message.
So you might come up with likefor you, what would what would a
new message be that serves youmore powerfully right now in
(29:43):
your life today?
Nick Barasch (29:46):
Yeah, I think it's like you can't you can't go
wrong.
Something along the lines ofyou know, perfection doesn't
exist, you can be messy, you canmake mistakes, you know.
Um perfection is a completeillusion.
I realized that my whole life Ithought that there was this
(30:08):
thing called perfection.
I really did, really believedthat.
Yeah, and it's just not athing, it's not a thing, and um
so yeah, I think giving myselfpermission to to make mistakes,
to like.
really make mistakes forgivemyself for them yeah I think
(30:28):
just like try like what's theworst thing that could happen if
you just go for it it's it'skind of uh just go for it I love
it yeah just let lettingyourself go there letting
yourself um really be unabashedand just free yeah and not only
(30:55):
on stage but in real life reallife yes yes so if you had to
choose um one highlight and onelow light from your career so
far or your life I mean itdoesn't have to be your career
highlight and a low light yeah Ithink the lowlights often come
when I don't have when I have alot of free time to myself and a
(31:17):
lot of time to think andoverthink without you know kind
of unchecked I I would say so acouple winters I mean 2024 was
was a a tougher year for me Ithink I was isolating more um
(31:37):
which I think I needed to do ina way but it's not healthy like
you need to be around peoplemore we're social creatures um
so wait wait so you need to yousaid you like you the royal we
the royal we yes what about whatabout you what does Nick need
well well good guess good pointI think I I do require more
(32:00):
solitude than the average personso I will own you require it or
do you want it or both uh bothyeah I I it is sorry I'm being
hard on you because I know youyeah it's a it's a value of mine
I I will say um but it can gotoo far and so leaning on others
you know last year I was likeokay I need to I need to lean on
(32:20):
others more um because we can'twe can't go it alone um
highlights I mean I mean whatcomes to mind is is getting to
live in Vancouver and and do aTV show for eight months.
That was pretty fun.
Cool I did I didn't know youdid that in Vancouver I did and
I I met some lifelong friends onthat gig and it was it was
(32:42):
interesting because I you knowcoming from the theater world
and musical theater inparticular you get so close and
you get so intimate and so I Iapproached that job like I'm not
gonna make any friends I justhave to keep my head down like
do a good job not get fired.
Like that was and I ended uplike having the you know the
(33:02):
most fun with the people andperhaps making more friends than
I have on on theater jobs.
So that was kind of just aninteresting thing how you can go
into something with theseexpectations that are just like
ah what are those?
So that was awesome experienceand I had a blast and it was
challenging.
It was kind of like everythingyou'd want in an artistic
(33:25):
endeavor um and totallyunexpected you know because I
just was so unfamiliar with thatworld so it was a cool kind of
entrance into that world.
Yeah no totally is thatsomething that you you want to
explore more deeply like didthat sort of give you the bug oh
totally totally I mean I thinkit's like kind of the like the
cliche of like you know once youdo one medium you kind of crave
(33:49):
the other and you want to keepI mean I I I always feel kind of
um like that will be kind ofwhat what happens that I'll
always kind of want to dip mytoe back in in something else
and yeah being um motivated byvariety you know did you feel
refreshed when you came backfrom it?
Yeah I did I did I mean it wasalso just a confusing time
(34:11):
because then we had the strikeand it was like it was a lot of
change in my life so it was kindof like and I also hadn't lived
in New York really like a fullhuman since like pre-pandemic.
So I it was just like oh my Godokay I'm 25.
I haven't really lived in NewYork in a long time on my own I
(34:33):
I ended a relationship I movedapartments that there was the
job and it was just like so muchchange.
But no it I think it it itreignited some kind of spark and
I was like oh cool you can likebe really creatively um
fulfilled in some other planetit felt like and then yeah
(34:53):
that's neat what do you thinkyou might do if performing arts
wasn't a thing like if youdidn't do that oh man I would
definitely still act out scenesby myself I love it for no one
um uh performing arts with doesthat include writing because I
might write if that's still ohthat's interesting sure where
(35:15):
wherever you want to go with ityeah uh yeah I mean I think I
love affecting people so I thinkit would have to be something
where I'm really engaging withpeople if it's not performing
for them it would be connectingtrying to help people in in some
(35:36):
way shape or form yeah becauseI mean you're in the service
industry now right yeah I lovelooking at it that way yeah well
I think it's absolutely trueyeah I mean I I feel the same
way is that daunting to you likewould that be a would that be
difficult for you but for somereason it just stopped if if it
(35:56):
just stopped um I think it wouldbe scary but I I think I would
accept it but I think it'sreally brave perhaps even more
brave sometimes to to to take abreak or to um explore another
aspect of life you know um yeahso I I love that I would hope
(36:16):
that I would welcome that shouldthat is there anyone you look
at that you kind of go wow thatwould be cool or be yeah I mean
yeah there's definitelysomething about just being able
to predict to like plan yourvacation and like really know
that like in six months I willbe on vacation and until then I
will be working you know there'ssomething about having that
(36:39):
yeah dare I say structure butyou know like the the kind of
you know to to be able to reallylook ahead uh would would be
cool on the other hand this lifeis also addicting and exciting
because you can't predictanything and yeah maybe that's
something that everyone shouldexperience I don't know yeah
(37:02):
it's a beautiful paradox and andI mean and I mean it's
interesting because if you talkabout especially because you
started professionally as achild yeah that it it's changed
from being um uh design for youyeah to you designing yourself
yes yes five years from now nolet's do one year from now first
(37:24):
one year from now you and Ireconnect and again and chat and
you say Lisa oh my god whatwill we be celebrating uh
celebrating ooh um in a yearfrom now ooh I think just uh
(37:45):
having lived through some morejoyful experiences and
celebrating that you know uh Ithink something I have talked in
therapy about is that like allthe suffering is in the the kid
like the younger version ofmyself uh and I I think I read
something that like pain isinevitable but suffering is
(38:06):
unnecessary it's optional oroptional right and I just I love
that because I'm here for thepain but the suffering is a
different animal and I'm youknow looking forward to letting
letting go of that so it so in ayear if I said hey this was my
most joyful year yet that wouldbe awesome I love that and what
(38:29):
about five years from now wellmaybe I have a dog maybe I won't
live here anymore I don't knowI think it would maybe be more
celebrating like life eventsmaybe that yeah that aren't
necessarily you know career butcan you zoom out 10 years can I
zoom out oh 10 years so how okayI'd be 37 I don't know I think
(38:54):
I mean I have a dream of ofmoving to Santa Fe at some
point.
No way how um I just fell inlove with it and we went on
vacation there as a family andI've been back a couple times
but there's something about thedesert also just physically like
my skin feels good my hair Idon't know what it is being like
a lifelong New Yorker in thislike moist hot growth like just
(39:18):
you know it's like the oppositeof that and I was so attracted
to that and the fact that it'sso artistic and there's amazing
food and I'm such a foodie andwhat's your definition of living
in the moment I mean it's sosimple right it it's like the
only thing we really have umit's like a check-in with
(39:42):
yourself which is the only thingyou can really really control
and it's something that I alwaysalways try to get back to.
I mean I really feel likethat's the goal um to live in
the moment and mindfully and umI do think that I'm I'm lucky
(40:02):
that I get to practice actingbecause that is the practice of
living in the I mean I get to doto practice that as my job and
that is really a gift.
So it's all related but manliving in the moment that is
that is everything yeah yeahwhat do you know will stay true
(40:28):
about you no matter what happensooh um I would say I I've I do
have a lot of integrity I willgive myself that and so uh I
know that when push comes toshove I will stand by my values
especially like with otherpeople I mean if if something is
(40:53):
smells fishy to me like it's Iam it's a no for me.
So I I will say I I that hasbeen pretty unchanging uh I'm a
Libra moon so peace and justiceare very important to me.
So yeah I would say that.
(41:14):
What do you think younger selfwould be really proud of ooh um
I think I think I think he'd beproud I mean in a general sense
I mean how far I've come interms of like really getting to
(41:37):
know myself and and working onmyself.
And I think at this point, youknow there they're I'm not I'm
not shutting him out like wewere talking about earlier I am
trying to embrace him as much asI can and um yeah and because
(41:58):
the the the he the kid was so sostrict and hard on himself.
And I think that is that islike my biggest that is the
biggest kind of lesson arc in mylife is learning how to how to
not do that to forgive myselffor it.
Lisa Hopkins (42:19):
Yeah.
Nick Barasch (42:19):
Yeah I think he'd be I think he'd be proud of that
how do you want to beremembered oh my gosh like after
I'm gone I think I'd like to beremembered for for having
integrity for for being kind andand curious like open I
wouldn't want anyone to rememberme as like too closed or fixed
(42:44):
you know someone who is stilllearning like to the end you
know so that yeah I would saythat I'm smiling at you I'll
stop um do you notice do younotice what you did?
Lisa Hopkins (42:57):
There's a pattern pattern recognition is
everything.
No one is you talked aboutsomebody else first which was
beautiful I did I did but um twotwo is that you said what what
you thought but then you qualitqualified it with what you don't
because I don't want them tothink this oh yeah that's true I
(43:20):
did say that it's interestingright yeah yeah I mean and I
mean and it is in the questiontoo right like remembered by
whom I don't know yeah I guess Iguess that's true I mean okay
that's that's a good point rightso yeah no that's a great point
so you're on your deathbed at105 at 105 yeah and uh and what
(43:51):
do you want your last thought tobe how do you want to feel I
guess is really the questionright is that a good question
yeah I think I mean I thinkgratitude for sure I think it
would have to be I was justabout to talk about someone else
but I but I think yeah I meanif you're if you're if you're
(44:13):
leaving with a lot of angst orhangups that feels really sad to
me.
I think if I'm leaving I thinkif if I'm leaving with a lot of
angst and so I'm just saying ifI'm leaving yeah if if you yes
if someone if I'm leaving rightwith so again wait wait I'm
gonna stop you this might not beon the podcast I'm gonna stop
(44:33):
you because don't you're stilltalking about what you don't
want that wouldn't be good.
Yeah so I'm gonna yeah no no nothat's a good point that's a
good point yeah so just taketake a moment seriously take a
moment and and I mean think ofthis as an an acting exercise
except you are you you know thecharacter is you and the life
the story is your life story andand you are lying there having
(44:58):
lived a you know a long life umand 105 105 and how do you how
do you feel how do you how doyou want to feel how would you
write that yeah I think I wouldwant to feel grateful for sure
(45:21):
grateful for it all you know thethe the the hard moments as as
much as the as the great momentsyeah I love that all right
let's play what makes you hungrylike literally hungry what
makes me hungry whatever comesto mind oh my god I mean just I
(45:45):
mean art I love art and I'malways hungry for it always what
makes you sad oh I think whenothers are sad it makes me sad
what inspires you nature whatfrustrates you my own mind and
(46:13):
the state of the world right nowI mean let's be real yeah yep
what uh what makes you laugh ohstupid shit silly shit do you
like to laugh I love to laugh ohyeah that's great right yeah
what makes you angry anger angeris a tough one for me oh
(46:38):
interesting I think justinjustice honestly yeah yeah
what makes you grateful oh Imean my days right now just
getting up and deciding what Iwant to do in the day choice I
(46:58):
guess yeah I love that what arethe top three things that have
happened so far today um wellobviously this conversation is
one of them um oh I had a niceconversation with my barista
this morning and and a coupletext exchanges that were nice
what's something that you'relooking forward to today um
(47:24):
honestly cleaning and likeorganizing my I have a lot of
that to do nice is it importantfor you to have a clear space it
is important and I don't tendto it as much as I'd like to
yeah so you have the time henceyour grateful to the I literally
yes I have the time and what'ssomething that you're looking
forward to in the future I thinkI'll say opportunities
(47:47):
opportunities um having multipleopportunities uh and it could
be career or just um life thingsyeah I uh I don't want to let
you go oh my god what a pleasureto chat with you I cannot thank
you enough for taking the timeto be in the moment with me
(48:08):
truly thank you it was really apleasure what a great
conversation right I knew itwould be I've been speaking
today with Nick Barash I'm LisaHopkins thanks so much for
listening stay safe and healthyeveryone and remember to live in
the moment in music stop timeis that beautiful moment where
(48:29):
the band is suspended inrhythmic unison supporting the
soloists to express theirindividuality in the moment I
encourage you to take that timeand create your own rhythm.
Until next time I'm LisaHopkins thanks for listening
Today is the Stop Time Podcast.
I'm your host, Lisa Hopkins,and I'm here to engage you in
thought-provoking motivationalconversations around practicing
the art of living in the moment.
I'm a certified life coach, andI'm excited to dig deep and
offer insights into embracingwho we are and where we are at.
(00:49):
Hey.
Oh my gosh.
How are you?
I love it.
Oh, I'm so happy that we we getto speak with you.
Nick Barasch (01:02):
Thank you too.
Thank you for having me.
I was thinking about, I mean,we go the farthest back from
most people in my life, likecrazy.
Lisa Hopkins (01:14):
Yeah, I know.
It is really crazy.
I I kept thinking how specialit would be to speak with you.
Nick Barasch (01:20):
Oh, same, same, same.
Lisa Hopkins (01:23):
So I had the joy of working with my next guest
when he was just nine years old.
And even then, his gift wasundeniable.
He had that rare spark, thevoice of an angel, and a work
ethic well beyond his years.
You could tell he was destinedfor something extraordinary.
(01:46):
And he's more than delivered onthat promise.
On Broadway, he starred inPirates, the Penzance musical,
earning the Clarence DerwentAward and Drama Desk nomination,
as well as in She Loves Me,where he received a Theater
World Award along with DramaDesk and Outer Critic Circle
nominations.
His credits also include TheMystery of Edwin Drude, West
(02:08):
Side Story, and the firstnational tour of Hades Town,
where he played Orpheus.
Boy, I would have liked to haveseen that one.
Off Broadway, his performancein The Butcher Boy at Irish
Repertory Theater was met withcritical acclaim and earned
nominations from the Drama Desk,Outer Critic Circle, and
Lucille Lortel Awards, to name afew.
You may know him as JulianBlossom on Riverdale, but I know
(02:31):
him as a beautiful human with avoice that moves, a heart that
shines, and a dedication to hiscraft that's been there from the
very, very beginning.
It's an absolute joy, truly, towelcome him here today.
Nicholas Barash, welcome to theshow.
Nick Barasch (02:49):
That made me like kind of emotional, that intro.
I don't know how I can live upto that, but thank you for
having me.
My gosh.
Lisa Hopkins (02:56):
Listen, it wouldn't matter what you did.
I I really believe this.
I really believe in the humanbehind the headlines.
I mean, that's what you choseto do.
That's where you chose to putyour energy.
And yeah, you have a gift, butyou're a gifted human.
And I believe that no matterwhat you do, that you would do
it with the same ethic, the samelight.
I do.
Nick Barasch (03:17):
Thank you.
I it's so funny that you saythat I that I had a work ethic
back then at nine years old.
Like, I'm curious to know whatyou thought of me as like a
because I must have been.
I was a very hard-working kid,but it's funny.
Lisa Hopkins (03:29):
Like some people's work ethic, you think about you
see them, you see them trying,you see them working.
What I remember about you, andand you know, let's let's you
know, let's be clear.
When there's a child, he'sgonna be well, your mom was
bringing you, right?
Your mom was around, yeah.
But your mom was amazing, shewas not a staged or mom or is
(03:49):
amazing, you know.
So it was I never felt thepressure of that.
Yes, and I never felt that youfelt the pressure of that.
I don't know if you did, but Ididn't know.
Nick Barasch (04:00):
Yeah, so interesting.
Just looking back, and yeah,the people who knew me like way,
way back when it's justfascinating.
Um, because it does feel likeforever ago, but um beginning of
it all, and you were there forthat.
Lisa Hopkins (04:13):
So well, I mean, it's so funny, you know.
I I as I was thinking about youknow, talking to you, I was I
was thinking, yeah, I I honestlydon't even know where to begin,
except right.
Well, except with gratitude forbeing part of like this small
part of your journey, oh and andthen for bearing witness to
your growth, like that is likeyou can't money can't buy that.
Nick Barasch (04:35):
I know.
Oh my gosh, yeah, incredible.
And just I and the memories arevivid.
I mean, it was I was nine yearsold, but I remember being in
Arizona with everyone, and Iknow those huge stage.
I mean, I I was a little kidand we were playing like big
houses.
Um yeah, so that was such athrill.
It really was like opened myeyes to like, wow, what what
(04:57):
what this could look like.
Lisa Hopkins (04:59):
So yeah, no, that's that's amazing.
I love that.
Um, looking back actually now,if there's something that you
could tell nine-year-old Nick,what would it be?
Yeah.
Nick Barasch (05:10):
Oh gosh, I would probably, I mean, you know, I've
I've said this before, youknow, publicly, but I I was I
was definitely.
I mean, we talk about how I wasa hard worker.
I was, I became, I would say,too hard a worker as a kid.
And I think being in theindustry at that age, you know,
(05:30):
I I wouldn't recommend it toeveryone because it's it was
beautiful and I found what Iloved so early, but it also came
with a cost and stuff that I'mworking through in therapy now.
But no, I think if I were totalk to him, I would say, you
have time, you know, to justgrow up and be a kid.
And I think, you know, no, noyoung person truly believes
(05:54):
that.
They always want to race toadulthood.
And I think that was that wassped up just by the fact that I
was thrown into thisprofessional sphere.
Um, there was a I grew up alittle too fast, I would say.
So my advice to him would be,you know, maybe just hang hang
around in kid kiddom a littlelonger, you know.
Lisa Hopkins (06:18):
Yeah.
What what do you think would bedifferent had had he done that?
Had you done that.
Nick Barasch (06:23):
I think everything.
I mean, I talked to my parentsabout it too, because you know,
they have mixed feelings aboutit.
I mean, it was never, you know,it was always my passion that
they supported.
So it was very wholesome andorganic, but I would just be a
complete I have no idea.
I probably would have had amore normal quote unquote path.
I probably would have gone to afour-year college, which I did
(06:45):
not do.
And I have no idea.
I think I probably still wouldhave found performing and acting
and singing, but yeah, my mylife definitely I just had a
very specific path, and it'salways been that.
Lisa Hopkins (07:00):
Yeah.
So I'm curious to know, likewith you, as a child, you're
gonna listen to the people thatthat that love you and protect
you, and you have great parents.
So so you trusted them and theysaw something in you, and this
is what parents do.
I'm a parent, I get it.
Yes, you know, and they say,Oh, he seems to have this gift.
Let's find some opportunities.
Absolutely, right?
At what point, you know, it'sinteresting because your talent
(07:23):
then then was dictating, and youyou were just a young human, so
you know, it it just seemednatural and safe to keep
following that because it makeseverybody happy, you're good at
it, you're right, yeah,absolutely, yes.
Nick Barasch (07:42):
All all of the above.
Yes, I think it's it's it'sinteresting that you put it that
way, that the talent dictated.
It was almost like that wasleading, and I had to kind of
follow, you know, follow it andbeing plunged into this, yeah,
adult world.
But um, you know, it was yeah,it was it was really joyful.
(08:02):
I mean, I always enjoyed doingit.
Um, and so the love has alwaysbeen there, and that's what's
kept me going ultimately.
And the support, I mean, likeyou said, I had an amazing
support system and also teacherswho yeah, I mean, it would be
like I'd go to school, myparents would pick me up, we'd
like drive to my actingteacher's house because I'd have
(08:23):
some audition in the city thenext day for some huge project,
and we work on like Shakespearefor like three hours when I was
14, and then I'd like go homeand finish my homework, and then
like it was like a lot, but Ialso did love it.
So yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (08:39):
Well, I'm curious about the intersection of when
you started leading, because youdid, you've done that,
obviously.
I feel like you're in the leadnow of your career and of your
talent.
Yeah, yeah.
What where can you talk to meabout that intersection?
Nick Barasch (08:51):
Yeah, it's funny because I I remember doing the
mystery of Edwin Druid when Iwas 14, and it was like we were
living in the city at the time,and I like went to rehearsal on
the subway by myself, and thatwas like my dad, like was like,
Okay, like you you go down torehearsal by yourself.
And I remember my manager at acertain point stopped CCing my
(09:12):
parents on emails when I wasthat was maybe like 17, but you
know, it was like a slow kind ofa slow burn to adulthood.
Um, yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (09:23):
Well, is if I can with your permission, yeah, dig
in deeper to you.
So you're still talking aboutthe outside forces, you're
talking about your agents andyour parents giving you
permission to step intoadulthood.
But do you remember like a hauh uh aha moment where you felt
(09:43):
maybe, maybe I'm I don't know,where it became more your own
because it because you wantedit?
Nick Barasch (09:48):
Yeah, no, that's interesting.
Um yeah, I think it probably Imean, the she loves me era of it
all, like post-high school.
I decided to not go to college.
And that was a that was likeyou know, that was a decision
that my parents I honestly wellI ended up going to college, so
(10:09):
I took a gap year after highschool, and that was gonna be
the plan.
I would take a gap year, maybework, audition a bit, whatever,
and then go to college.
And I think they just wanted meto try it, and so I agreed to
that.
I I was gonna go to Columbiafull-time.
When I took a gap year, Ipostponed that and I reapplied
to their general studiesprogram.
So I ended up going part-timefor like a couple semesters
(10:33):
while auditioning.
And I was like, this is not forme.
Um, I, you know, I had to missclass a couple of times for
auditions, and I was like, well,what's the point?
I I can't, I cannot do both.
So I think that was I feltprobably like I had more agency
then because I was making thiscall that my parents were
supporting.
(10:53):
Um and again, it did come at acost.
I mean, that part of me wishesI went to college, not for the
education necessarily, but forthe community.
Like finding community for mehas taken a long time and kind
of has been like scatteredthroughout my 20s.
And I'm just starting to findmore of you know, more
(11:16):
community.
Um, so yeah, that was probablya turning point.
Uh, but I feel like it's asuccession of turning points.
I mean, even now I feel mucholder and perhaps wiser than I
did like even a year or two ago.
Um and you know, with mytherapist, we talk about how I
never really had a trueadolescence because it was kind
(11:39):
of like this pod of me, myparents, my manager, like it was
very insular, and I'm kind ofin an in an adolescence now in
my yeah, in my mid to late 20s.
So, you know.
Lisa Hopkins (11:53):
That's great though.
Nick Barasch (11:55):
Yeah, it is, it is, and yeah, what's that like?
Lisa Hopkins (11:57):
How does that feel?
Nick Barasch (11:59):
Feels good.
It feels like, you know, Ithink for the longest time, you
know, the business and my careerwas everything, my whole world,
and it no longer feels likethat in a positive way.
Um, I get to have a life too.
So that's something that I'mlike, hmm, yeah, that's good.
I like it's not life or death,you know, the stakes are not as
(12:22):
high as I always thought theywere, you know.
Lisa Hopkins (12:24):
Yeah, and and like I said, it's normal for a child
to think to feel, not reallythink, but to feel like the
stakes are high.
Yes, because the people thatare taking care of them, I mean,
we're primitively wired forthat.
So that it felt like that,right?
Nick Barasch (12:42):
Yes, totally, totally.
That was my reality.
So yeah, still no one's fault,but just how it happened.
Lisa Hopkins (12:49):
No, no, not it's totally natural.
That's the thing, totallynatural, but it can be well
traumatizing, quite quitehonestly.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, no, for sure.
And I bet you realized as soonas you started really stepping
into being connected to yourvalues, which it sounds like
you're still really opening upto that.
Nick Barasch (13:08):
Yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (13:09):
Um, but it sounds like uh there's probably a
realization that actually, no,your parents are totally aborted
no matter what you decide.
Right, of course, and that youtake care of yourself, right?
Nick Barasch (13:21):
Like, yeah, you know, yeah, yeah, that kind of
separating process.
Lisa Hopkins (13:27):
Yeah.
Wow, that's so interesting.
I love that.
That alone is just is well sofascinating to me, especially
having having known you then.
And then, like, there've beensome like touch points, like you
you just you did Jekyll with usfor um and yeah, that was
actually that was the beginning,the very beginning of my gap
year.
Nick Barasch (13:45):
That was like, I am free and I'm gonna take a gap
year.
And that was one of the firstprojects I did was with you
guys, yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (13:52):
Oh, that's so neat.
Nick Barasch (13:53):
I was that was right after she loved me, so I
was 18.
Yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (13:55):
And I bet you you weren't doing that because you
thought it was some big careermove, even though I'm sure you
loved the work.
Why did you do it?
Nick Barasch (14:03):
Well, you guys asked, and I love you guys, and
it was and it was also like agreat challenge.
Like I remember it was a lot,it was like a lot of material,
it was the lead role.
And um, I also had performed at54 below, and it was a fun
week.
I knew some other folksinvolved, and yeah, yeah, and it
was fruitful.
I mean, and that was also kindof like ooh, I get to just do
(14:28):
this, I don't have to do schoolanymore.
So that was kind of like agreat I canwid, yeah.
Act and sing, yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (14:36):
Yeah.
Well, that that's cool.
And we were kind of likeprobably there was as you're as
young Nick was sort of startingto you know fade into the into
the past.
I mean, he's always with you.
I mean, I really truly believethat.
But in turn, in terms of thatyoung Nick thinking, um, it's
interesting because maybe wewere a bridge, maybe this is a
sidebar, but a bridge because wewere like family in a way,
(14:57):
right?
Nick Barasch (14:58):
Yeah, totally.
And there have been momentslike that with with certain
people along the way.
I mean, even I mean, doingpirates, yeah.
I mean, Scott Ellis, WarrenCarlisle, Rupert Holmes, they've
known me since I was 13.
Lisa Hopkins (15:10):
Yeah.
Nick Barasch (15:11):
So while that was a a wonderful comfort in some
ways, and it was alsofrustrating because my my scared
little kid was often at theforefront of everything.
Lisa Hopkins (15:23):
For sure.
Nick Barasch (15:24):
So my my 13-year-old self was very
triggered, but it was but it butit was so necessary to like go
back almost and then kind ofcome out the other end as a
adult.
So it was kind of a cosmicthing.
Lisa Hopkins (15:39):
No, no, that makes perfect sense.
Yeah, that's and what and whata gift, right?
Nick Barasch (15:43):
Oh, what a gift, it's kind of like radical
acceptance, yes, yes, yeah,right, right.
Really going accepting thatthat that kid, yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (15:52):
Yeah, what do you think is maybe the biggest
lesson you've learned so far?
Nick Barasch (15:59):
Just in life, yeah.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, yeah, throw me asoftball, Lisa.
Um, the biggest lesson.
Ooh, I mean, I would say rightnow, I just have based, and a
lot of this is just being abeing an actor for so long.
(16:20):
I think I based a lot of myselfoff of others' opinions, yeah,
ideas of me.
I'm constantly worrying aboutwhat other people think of me,
and much less now because I'mreading this book called
Homecoming by Tema Bryant, who'samazing.
And just this idea of comingback home to yourself, that like
(16:42):
this is a home, and we're safein here.
And it's actually not aboutgetting that person's approval
or winning that person over.
I'm a chronic people pleaser,and so it's it's not about that.
So the more I um learn to letgo of that and come home to
myself, and like another, youknow, part of the theme of this
(17:06):
book is telling yourself thetruth, which feels like very
radical almost in our cultureright now, like to really be
honest with yourself, radicallyhonest, um, feels like just a
skill that I'm wanting toimprove.
Lisa Hopkins (17:21):
So why do you think that skill would would
benefit you now?
Nick Barasch (17:27):
I mean, it would honestly just relieve so much
stress about, you know, I'm anoverthinker, and I think, yeah,
the idea of coming home tomyself, to my body, there's a
letting go there that can happenand that I want to keep
cultivating, especially in acareer like this, in a life like
(17:49):
this, that's so aboutperformance.
Like, you know, I'm ameditator, and that also kind of
brings me back to myself.
And um, yeah, I think that thebenefits are endless and it's
free.
We can all do it, you know.
Like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (18:09):
No, 100%.
What what's the rhythm of yourday like?
Nick Barasch (18:13):
Uh I laugh because it it was it was a lot
different two and a half weeksago.
Yeah, true.
Uh yeah, I'm I'm still findingthe rhythm post eight show week,
which is like, I don't evenknow what that is.
It's just a blur of runningaround and surviving almost.
(18:34):
I mean, in this show, I mean, Idon't know if you know this.
I am not a dancer.
I mean, I oh come on.
Everybody's a dancer.
I I I, you know, I faked itwell, and Warren Carlisle turned
me into one, but I was justexhausted all the time.
I mean, the next time I havesomething that physical, I'll
know that I need to like reallywork out, take care of my body
(18:55):
in a way that's so so no, I'mjust finding my rhythm now.
I'm loving the freedom, thespace.
Lisa Hopkins (19:01):
Yeah, yeah.
Nick Barasch (19:02):
Uh, to not have every minute accounted for is a
luxury.
But I told myself after thisshow that I I need more
structure in my life, just ingeneral.
So finding that and morecommunity too, and just um
entering spaces that maybe Iwould have been afraid to, or
(19:23):
joining some class, or just youknow, giving myself uh structure
that so that it's not just theaudition or the the act, or you
know.
Lisa Hopkins (19:36):
Yeah.
It's interesting.
The word I sorry, I I harp onthe words with my clients.
I'm like, structure, that's aninteresting word choice,
especially for someone who'slived such a structured life,
structured by everything else.
Yeah.
So if you were to to maybe, Idon't know, reframe that word as
something that really workedfor you, about what you really
(19:58):
what what would that be?
Nick Barasch (20:00):
I mean, right, yes.
I I think honestly, like givingmyself projects, things that
I'm passionate about, thingsthat I can look forward to
working on every day, um, sothat I'm not at the beck and
call of some force that mightgrant me a job.
(20:21):
You know, it's like so.
I think it's more about, yeah,if if structure is not the word,
then it would be like, I don'tknow, self-actualization in my
days, like you know, somethingthat I set out to do that I
don't need anyone's kind ofanyone to sign off on, you know.
Lisa Hopkins (20:43):
Yeah.
It it's interesting becausewhat I'm hearing underneath what
you're saying is is balancethat won't be disrupted.
Yeah.
So so I understand what youmean.
Like it would make sense,knowing you and knowing just
even what you've just told me,that you're used to structure,
(21:05):
you're used to the structure ofan eight-week show or of an
agent, or you know, your wholelife has been structured.
Yeah.
Um, and I and I understand thatyou don't want to be at the
back and call.
However, you also acknowledgethat that is the life of an
actor.
Yeah.
So, but but when you saystructure and your brain knows
all that data, you could havebeen talking about what you do.
Nick Barasch (21:26):
Right, right.
Yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (21:28):
You said projects, you said work, yeah.
Passion.
That's exactly what you do,Nick.
Nick Barasch (21:32):
Yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (21:33):
You work on projects you're passionate
about.
And and what I'm hearing yousay is because you, you know,
you've grown, you've grownvertically, let's say, right?
You've grown, you've definitelyrisen, as they say, in in your
field, and will continue to.
There's no doubt if you want tokeep doing that, you will.
Um, and that's just about aseries of choices and and
opportunities and and a lot ofthings you can't control.
(21:55):
I know that if you want to doit, you will control your vessel
and you will take care of yourbody.
I know you will.
So I I don't I don't worryabout that.
But what I'm what I'm what I'mhearing, and you tell me if you
think this is true, because Icould be totally wrong.
But what I'm hearing is thatyou're you're yearning for
something that you create thatwon't go away when right?
(22:21):
That honor, it's like somethingyou honor and value, yes, that
doesn't go away when when youget drawn that way.
Nick Barasch (22:28):
Yeah, totally.
That's it.
That's it.
I think it's yes, finding um,yeah, more consistent kind of
outlets.
And they don't have to becreative.
I mean, it could be a sillyhobby, or it could just be, you
know, doing things with friendsthat I mean, I took a hike the
(22:48):
other day, you know, upstate,and that felt so you know, I
didn't tell anyone, you know, itwas by myself, you know.
I and it that in a way feltlike structure.
It could be that, you know, itfelt like um something that I
could go do that where I'm I'mthe leader, and I'm saying,
(23:09):
okay, we're going, we're goingon a hike now, you know.
Totally.
Lisa Hopkins (23:13):
You're the chef.
Yeah.
What I don't know if you cookor whatever, but I'm I what came
up for me was it's your ownrecipe.
You want to plot your ownrecipe.
Nick Barasch (23:21):
Love that.
Love that.
Yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (23:23):
So what do people most often get wrong about you?
Do you do you do you have asense of that?
Nick Barasch (23:28):
Yeah, I think, I mean, I think because I lead
with a lot of uh, you know, I'ma pretty kind of smiley, you
know, positive person, I wouldsay.
So I think people don't knowhow, I mean, for example, hard
on myself I am.
So I I shared that with them,or or how critical I am.
(23:53):
And I think that comes frombeing really critical of myself.
I mean, I don't know if youknow the Enneagram, but I'm a
one on the Enneagram.
Lisa Hopkins (24:01):
Okay.
Nick Barasch (24:01):
We're we're the perfectionists, we're the most
hard on ourselves.
Um and, you know, and I thinkthat is something that I
continue to work on because itit tightens me up in a way that
isn't helpful in in all ways.
So it's always for me likeloosening the the screws.
(24:22):
And um so yeah, people mightnot might not know that that's
kind of my that's what's goingon under under here.
Lisa Hopkins (24:30):
Is it even important that they know that to
you?
Nick Barasch (24:32):
Um, I mean, sometimes I think I I I think of
pirates because that's kind ofthe last yeah project I did, but
um I think it was important forsome people to know.
I mean, my my closest kind ofcastmates to just you know to
just hear me out and I can getto them.
And I mean, shout out to JinxMonsoon, who's become such a
(24:55):
pal, and she's just niceincredible, and also has a has a
bit of the overthinking thing.
Yeah, she she gets it and gotit and helped me through a lot
of spirals that I had, and uh sothat was nice to kind of yeah,
to share that and be heard,seen.
Lisa Hopkins (25:15):
Yeah, oh that's brilliant.
I love that.
What's the worst advice you'veever been given?
Nick Barasch (25:21):
Oh my goodness, it would probably be along the
lines of like, you know,probably like a some teacher
workshop that I took that wasjust so hellbent on results, I
think as an actor performer,like if you do this, you'll get
(25:42):
this.
Like any any of those likefalse promises that are just
like someone's BS kind of ideaof what you should do.
Yeah, so I don't know.
That's kind of vague, but no,that's that's not vague.
Yeah, I mean, yeah, if you ifyou act a certain way, if you
present yourself in this way,you will need something.
Like, what does that even mean?
Lisa Hopkins (26:04):
No, no, I love that.
Well, and this the wholeshoulding thing, right?
I mean, yes, the shoulding.
Well, I you know what I call Ishould?
I could with shame.
Nick Barasch (26:15):
Ooh, wow.
Yeah, that's real.
I could with shame.
Right.
There's so much shame in there.
Lisa Hopkins (26:27):
Yeah.
Nick Barasch (26:28):
From all angles, right?
Lisa Hopkins (26:31):
Oh, what are you the most afraid of?
Nick Barasch (26:35):
Oh, that's a fun one.
Um, ooh, man.
I mean, I think probably whatit used to be is.
I mean, it might sound like abroken record, but yeah, people,
you know, people being wrongabout me, people underestimating
me, people shaming me in someway.
(26:57):
I think I've spent a lot of mylife shaming myself.
So I think it's it's probablyan internal fear that comes from
my own kind of stuff.
I but I also think what'scoming to mind now is is
honestly holding myself back.
I think like getting in my ownway is a fear of mine.
(27:19):
Um and it's it's only me.
It's only me to contend with,you know, like but it's it's
something that I'm I think I'mslowly dismantling, or at least
I'm accepting when when thatfear is there, to accept that I
am afraid instead of being like,no, I'm not afraid.
Like maybe you are, and that'sokay, you know.
Lisa Hopkins (27:41):
Totally.
And you know, what I believe isthat these these our inner
critic, our gremlins, you know,these things that try to scare
us and make us feel small,they're just trying to keep us
safe.
Nick Barasch (27:55):
Yes, right.
Lisa Hopkins (27:57):
And we created them, right?
Nick Barasch (27:58):
The irony of that, yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (28:00):
What I've learned in you know, in in what I do now
is that people try to get ridof them.
Yes.
And what I propose is that youinvite them in and you get
curious and you say, I I'mgetting that message that I'm
not good enough, let's say, asan example, and you know, or you
(28:23):
know, I gotta kill myself inorder to succeed.
Right.
Um, and that that may havehelped me sometime.
And you could probably rememberwhen you first heard that
message.
But you invite your gremlin inand you say, Thank you.
Yeah, thank you for keeping mesafe.
It really helped.
Yeah, but guess what?
I don't need you for thatanymore.
(28:44):
But you don't have to go.
I have a new job for you.
Yes, something that you canreally help me.
It's rescripting, right?
Nick Barasch (28:51):
Oh, it's so good.
I'm curious what what it whatwould be the new job for those
grammars.
Lisa Hopkins (28:56):
That would be up to you.
Nick Barasch (28:58):
Yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (28:59):
Essentially, you take the old message, you get
curious and about it, you youremember when you you know how
it helped you.
You actually acknowledge thatit did help you at some point.
Right, it did help you from notbeing embarrassed.
If you didn't memorize yourlines for the school play, you
would be embarrassed.
Nick Barasch (29:15):
Right, right.
Lisa Hopkins (29:16):
All your friends would laugh at you, yeah.
I mean, that's real.
Nick Barasch (29:21):
Totally.
Lisa Hopkins (29:21):
Right?
But you're a professional now,yeah.
And and what happens is whathappens is that we carry these
old thing, old messages with usbecause we haven't taken the
time to a thank them, yeah, andand to update them with a new
message.
So you might come up with likefor you, what would what would a
new message be that serves youmore powerfully right now in
(29:43):
your life today?
Nick Barasch (29:46):
Yeah, I think it's like you can't you can't go
wrong.
Something along the lines ofyou know, perfection doesn't
exist, you can be messy, you canmake mistakes, you know.
Um perfection is a completeillusion.
I realized that my whole life Ithought that there was this
(30:08):
thing called perfection.
I really did, really believedthat.
Yeah, and it's just not athing, it's not a thing, and um
so yeah, I think giving myselfpermission to to make mistakes,
to like.
really make mistakes forgivemyself for them yeah I think
(30:28):
just like try like what's theworst thing that could happen if
you just go for it it's it'skind of uh just go for it I love
it yeah just let lettingyourself go there letting
yourself um really be unabashedand just free yeah and not only
(30:55):
on stage but in real life reallife yes yes so if you had to
choose um one highlight and onelow light from your career so
far or your life I mean itdoesn't have to be your career
highlight and a low light yeah Ithink the lowlights often come
when I don't have when I have alot of free time to myself and a
(31:17):
lot of time to think andoverthink without you know kind
of unchecked I I would say so acouple winters I mean 2024 was
was a a tougher year for me Ithink I was isolating more um
(31:37):
which I think I needed to do ina way but it's not healthy like
you need to be around peoplemore we're social creatures um
so wait wait so you need to yousaid you like you the royal we
the royal we yes what about whatabout you what does Nick need
well well good guess good pointI think I I do require more
(32:00):
solitude than the average personso I will own you require it or
do you want it or both uh bothyeah I I it is sorry I'm being
hard on you because I know youyeah it's a it's a value of mine
I I will say um but it can gotoo far and so leaning on others
you know last year I was likeokay I need to I need to lean on
(32:20):
others more um because we can'twe can't go it alone um
highlights I mean I mean whatcomes to mind is is getting to
live in Vancouver and and do aTV show for eight months.
That was pretty fun.
Cool I did I didn't know youdid that in Vancouver I did and
I I met some lifelong friends onthat gig and it was it was
(32:42):
interesting because I you knowcoming from the theater world
and musical theater inparticular you get so close and
you get so intimate and so I Iapproached that job like I'm not
gonna make any friends I justhave to keep my head down like
do a good job not get fired.
Like that was and I ended uplike having the you know the
(33:02):
most fun with the people andperhaps making more friends than
I have on on theater jobs.
So that was kind of just aninteresting thing how you can go
into something with theseexpectations that are just like
ah what are those?
So that was awesome experienceand I had a blast and it was
challenging.
It was kind of like everythingyou'd want in an artistic
(33:25):
endeavor um and totallyunexpected you know because I
just was so unfamiliar with thatworld so it was a cool kind of
entrance into that world.
Yeah no totally is thatsomething that you you want to
explore more deeply like didthat sort of give you the bug oh
totally totally I mean I thinkit's like kind of the like the
cliche of like you know once youdo one medium you kind of crave
(33:49):
the other and you want to keepI mean I I I always feel kind of
um like that will be kind ofwhat what happens that I'll
always kind of want to dip mytoe back in in something else
and yeah being um motivated byvariety you know did you feel
refreshed when you came backfrom it?
Yeah I did I did I mean it wasalso just a confusing time
(34:11):
because then we had the strikeand it was like it was a lot of
change in my life so it was kindof like and I also hadn't lived
in New York really like a fullhuman since like pre-pandemic.
So I it was just like oh my Godokay I'm 25.
I haven't really lived in NewYork in a long time on my own I
(34:33):
I ended a relationship I movedapartments that there was the
job and it was just like so muchchange.
But no it I think it it itreignited some kind of spark and
I was like oh cool you can likebe really creatively um
fulfilled in some other planetit felt like and then yeah
(34:53):
that's neat what do you thinkyou might do if performing arts
wasn't a thing like if youdidn't do that oh man I would
definitely still act out scenesby myself I love it for no one
um uh performing arts with doesthat include writing because I
might write if that's still ohthat's interesting sure where
(35:15):
wherever you want to go with ityeah uh yeah I mean I think I
love affecting people so I thinkit would have to be something
where I'm really engaging withpeople if it's not performing
for them it would be connectingtrying to help people in in some
(35:36):
way shape or form yeah becauseI mean you're in the service
industry now right yeah I lovelooking at it that way yeah well
I think it's absolutely trueyeah I mean I I feel the same
way is that daunting to you likewould that be a would that be
difficult for you but for somereason it just stopped if if it
(35:56):
just stopped um I think it wouldbe scary but I I think I would
accept it but I think it'sreally brave perhaps even more
brave sometimes to to to take abreak or to um explore another
aspect of life you know um yeahso I I love that I would hope
(36:16):
that I would welcome that shouldthat is there anyone you look
at that you kind of go wow thatwould be cool or be yeah I mean
yeah there's definitelysomething about just being able
to predict to like plan yourvacation and like really know
that like in six months I willbe on vacation and until then I
will be working you know there'ssomething about having that
(36:39):
yeah dare I say structure butyou know like the the kind of
you know to to be able to reallylook ahead uh would would be
cool on the other hand this lifeis also addicting and exciting
because you can't predictanything and yeah maybe that's
something that everyone shouldexperience I don't know yeah
(37:02):
it's a beautiful paradox and andI mean and I mean it's
interesting because if you talkabout especially because you
started professionally as achild yeah that it it's changed
from being um uh design for youyeah to you designing yourself
yes yes five years from now nolet's do one year from now first
(37:24):
one year from now you and Ireconnect and again and chat and
you say Lisa oh my god whatwill we be celebrating uh
celebrating ooh um in a yearfrom now ooh I think just uh
(37:45):
having lived through some morejoyful experiences and
celebrating that you know uh Ithink something I have talked in
therapy about is that like allthe suffering is in the the kid
like the younger version ofmyself uh and I I think I read
something that like pain isinevitable but suffering is
(38:06):
unnecessary it's optional oroptional right and I just I love
that because I'm here for thepain but the suffering is a
different animal and I'm youknow looking forward to letting
letting go of that so it so in ayear if I said hey this was my
most joyful year yet that wouldbe awesome I love that and what
(38:29):
about five years from now wellmaybe I have a dog maybe I won't
live here anymore I don't knowI think it would maybe be more
celebrating like life eventsmaybe that yeah that aren't
necessarily you know career butcan you zoom out 10 years can I
zoom out oh 10 years so how okayI'd be 37 I don't know I think
(38:54):
I mean I have a dream of ofmoving to Santa Fe at some
point.
No way how um I just fell inlove with it and we went on
vacation there as a family andI've been back a couple times
but there's something about thedesert also just physically like
my skin feels good my hair Idon't know what it is being like
a lifelong New Yorker in thislike moist hot growth like just
(39:18):
you know it's like the oppositeof that and I was so attracted
to that and the fact that it'sso artistic and there's amazing
food and I'm such a foodie andwhat's your definition of living
in the moment I mean it's sosimple right it it's like the
only thing we really have umit's like a check-in with
(39:42):
yourself which is the only thingyou can really really control
and it's something that I alwaysalways try to get back to.
I mean I really feel likethat's the goal um to live in
the moment and mindfully and umI do think that I'm I'm lucky
(40:02):
that I get to practice actingbecause that is the practice of
living in the I mean I get to doto practice that as my job and
that is really a gift.
So it's all related but manliving in the moment that is
that is everything yeah yeahwhat do you know will stay true
(40:28):
about you no matter what happensooh um I would say I I've I do
have a lot of integrity I willgive myself that and so uh I
know that when push comes toshove I will stand by my values
especially like with otherpeople I mean if if something is
(40:53):
smells fishy to me like it's Iam it's a no for me.
So I I will say I I that hasbeen pretty unchanging uh I'm a
Libra moon so peace and justiceare very important to me.
So yeah I would say that.
(41:14):
What do you think younger selfwould be really proud of ooh um
I think I think I think he'd beproud I mean in a general sense
I mean how far I've come interms of like really getting to
(41:37):
know myself and and working onmyself.
And I think at this point, youknow there they're I'm not I'm
not shutting him out like wewere talking about earlier I am
trying to embrace him as much asI can and um yeah and because
(41:58):
the the the he the kid was so sostrict and hard on himself.
And I think that is that islike my biggest that is the
biggest kind of lesson arc in mylife is learning how to how to
not do that to forgive myselffor it.
Lisa Hopkins (42:19):
Yeah.
Nick Barasch (42:19):
Yeah I think he'd be I think he'd be proud of that
how do you want to beremembered oh my gosh like after
I'm gone I think I'd like to beremembered for for having
integrity for for being kind andand curious like open I
wouldn't want anyone to rememberme as like too closed or fixed
(42:44):
you know someone who is stilllearning like to the end you
know so that yeah I would saythat I'm smiling at you I'll
stop um do you notice do younotice what you did?
Lisa Hopkins (42:57):
There's a pattern pattern recognition is
everything.
No one is you talked aboutsomebody else first which was
beautiful I did I did but um twotwo is that you said what what
you thought but then you qualitqualified it with what you don't
because I don't want them tothink this oh yeah that's true I
(43:20):
did say that it's interestingright yeah yeah I mean and I
mean and it is in the questiontoo right like remembered by
whom I don't know yeah I guess Iguess that's true I mean okay
that's that's a good point rightso yeah no that's a great point
so you're on your deathbed at105 at 105 yeah and uh and what
(43:51):
do you want your last thought tobe how do you want to feel I
guess is really the questionright is that a good question
yeah I think I mean I thinkgratitude for sure I think it
would have to be I was justabout to talk about someone else
but I but I think yeah I meanif you're if you're if you're
(44:13):
leaving with a lot of angst orhangups that feels really sad to
me.
I think if I'm leaving I thinkif if I'm leaving with a lot of
angst and so I'm just saying ifI'm leaving yeah if if you yes
if someone if I'm leaving rightwith so again wait wait I'm
gonna stop you this might not beon the podcast I'm gonna stop
(44:33):
you because don't you're stilltalking about what you don't
want that wouldn't be good.
Yeah so I'm gonna yeah no no nothat's a good point that's a
good point yeah so just taketake a moment seriously take a
moment and and I mean think ofthis as an an acting exercise
except you are you you know thecharacter is you and the life
the story is your life story andand you are lying there having
(44:58):
lived a you know a long life umand 105 105 and how do you how
do you feel how do you how doyou want to feel how would you
write that yeah I think I wouldwant to feel grateful for sure
(45:21):
grateful for it all you know thethe the the hard moments as as
much as the as the great momentsyeah I love that all right
let's play what makes you hungrylike literally hungry what
makes me hungry whatever comesto mind oh my god I mean just I
(45:45):
mean art I love art and I'malways hungry for it always what
makes you sad oh I think whenothers are sad it makes me sad
what inspires you nature whatfrustrates you my own mind and
(46:13):
the state of the world right nowI mean let's be real yeah yep
what uh what makes you laugh ohstupid shit silly shit do you
like to laugh I love to laugh ohyeah that's great right yeah
what makes you angry anger angeris a tough one for me oh
(46:38):
interesting I think justinjustice honestly yeah yeah
what makes you grateful oh Imean my days right now just
getting up and deciding what Iwant to do in the day choice I
(46:58):
guess yeah I love that what arethe top three things that have
happened so far today um wellobviously this conversation is
one of them um oh I had a niceconversation with my barista
this morning and and a coupletext exchanges that were nice
what's something that you'relooking forward to today um
(47:24):
honestly cleaning and likeorganizing my I have a lot of
that to do nice is it importantfor you to have a clear space it
is important and I don't tendto it as much as I'd like to
yeah so you have the time henceyour grateful to the I literally
yes I have the time and what'ssomething that you're looking
forward to in the future I thinkI'll say opportunities
(47:47):
opportunities um having multipleopportunities uh and it could
be career or just um life thingsyeah I uh I don't want to let
you go oh my god what a pleasureto chat with you I cannot thank
you enough for taking the timeto be in the moment with me
(48:08):
truly thank you it was really apleasure what a great
conversation right I knew itwould be I've been speaking
today with Nick Barash I'm LisaHopkins thanks so much for
listening stay safe and healthyeveryone and remember to live in
the moment in music stop timeis that beautiful moment where
(48:29):
the band is suspended inrhythmic unison supporting the
soloists to express theirindividuality in the moment I
encourage you to take that timeand create your own rhythm.
Until next time I'm LisaHopkins thanks for listening
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