Was It Chance? Podcast By Alan Seales Heather Vickery & Broadway Podcast Network cover art

Was It Chance?

Was It Chance?

By: Alan Seales Heather Vickery & Broadway Podcast Network
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People talk about manifestation as a thing that you can just think into existence. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. When it comes to making your creative dreams come true, what really matters is putting yourself in a position to thoughtfully and intelligently take advantage of the opportunities presented to you. And sometimes these opportunities show up in very unexpected ways. We’re Heather Vickery and Alan Seales, two perfect strangers who met by chance and embraced opportunity! Listen in as we chat with other successful people about the risks they took, and continue taking, to put themselves on a path to creative success. WAS IT CHANCE? The podcast about embracing opportunity and taking intentional risks for your creative life.Alan Seales, Heather Vickery & Broadway Podcast Network Art Entertainment & Performing Arts Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • #107 - Rich Wright: The Dark Side of Creativity—and the Way Through

    #107 - Rich Wright: The Dark Side of Creativity—and the Way Through
    Feb 24 2026
    Content Note: This conversation includes discussion of suicide and severe depression. Please take care of yourself while listening. If you or someone you know is struggling, reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the United States or a local crisis resource in your area. In this deeply vulnerable episode of Was It Chance?, we sit down with Rich Wright, founder of The Artist Recovery, for an honest conversation about creativity, depression, suicide, and the courage it takes to stay curious about hope. Rich shares how his creative instincts showed up early—from reverse-engineering fashion designs in his mind to launching his own clothing line with zero formal training. But when that venture collapsed in a high-stakes moment at Lollapalooza, it triggered a spiral that led to a suicide attempt and a long journey through inpatient care, therapy, and ultimately a search for healing beyond traditional models. What emerged from that darkness is The Artist Recovery—a platform and podcast dedicated to “bringing light to the dark side of art.” Rich reframes recovery not just as sobriety, but as renewal, resilience, and creative transformation. He speaks candidly about living with lifelong depression, being told by a top university depression center that they couldn’t help him, and the persistent flicker of curiosity that kept him alive long enough to seek alternative paths forward. This episode is about more than mental health. It’s about the unique vulnerability of creatives. It’s about how art can both wound and heal. And it’s about the radical act of staying curious about the light—even when it feels impossibly far away. Connect with Rich at theartistrecovery.com and explore his podcast, The Artist Recovery, on all major streaming platforms. Rich Wright is an artist, multi-instrumentalist, and the founder of The Artist Recovery, a powerful initiative dedicated to helping creatives rebuild their lives and rediscover their art. Based in Michigan with deep Tennessee roots, Rich has spent his life navigating the intersection of creativity and mental health. From early struggles with depression and a suicide attempt in his twenties to years of therapy and alternative healing modalities, his journey is one of resilience, reinvention, and purpose. Through The Artist Recovery, Rich creates space for artists to confront the “dark side” of creativity—mental health challenges, addiction, burnout, and disappointment—while reclaiming renewal, courage, and authentic self-expression. His work centers on vulnerability, curiosity, and the belief that even the smallest light can guide someone forward. Connect With Us: 📩 Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wasitchancepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow Was It Chance? on your favorite podcast platform 📱 Connect with us on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ✨ More about Heather at her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to her Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and more⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Visit Heather's Bookshop⁠⁠⁠ Visit ⁠⁠⁠The Reading Well⁠ EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Creativity can be both a gift and a burden, and ignoring the mental health struggles that often accompany artistic work only deepens the isolation many creatives already feel. Failure—especially public or high-stakes failure—can become a breaking point, but it can also become the catalyst for reinvention and deeper self-awareness. Traditional mental health models don’t work for everyone, and healing sometimes requires curiosity, experimentation, and alternative modalities. Recovery is not just about sobriety; it can mean renewal, resilience, and reclaiming your identity as a creative human being. Even in the darkest seasons, staying curious about the smallest flicker of light can be enough to keep moving forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • #106 - Troy Horne: Why Midlife Is the Best Time to Chase the Dream

    #106 - Troy Horne: Why Midlife Is the Best Time to Chase the Dream
    Feb 10 2026
    Heather Vickery and Alan Seales sit down with Troy Horne, a multi-hyphenate creative whose career spans music, Broadway, television, entrepreneurship, and authorship. The conversation explores what it really means to take intentional risks—especially in midlife—and how clarity, courage, and self-trust compound over time. Troy shares how his creative journey began with a childhood performance in church that revealed both his talent and his appetite for risk. From there, he followed a path shaped by persistence rather than certainty, navigating choir, talent shows, and eventually national television on Star Search. That experience became an early lesson in how the entertainment industry actually works—where talent matters, but timing, narrative, and business needs often matter just as much. The discussion traces Troy’s decision to move to Los Angeles with limited resources, highlighting the importance of “networking sideways” rather than chasing gatekeepers. Troy recounts his time working alongside peers who would later become industry leaders, including Octavia Spencer, and how those early peer relationships proved more valuable than traditional ladder-climbing. A pivotal moment in the episode is Troy’s Broadway story. While auditioning for Rent, he turned down a touring role because it conflicted with his personal values and family priorities. That clarity led to an unexpected outcome: a Broadway role as Tom Collins. This moment anchors a central theme of the episode—knowing what you want, and being willing to say no, often creates space for the right yes. The episode culminates in a discussion of Troy’s latest book, Middle Management: How to Find Meaning, Clarity, and Success in the Second Half of Life. Troy outlines the mindset shifts required for midlife reinvention, including the necessity of quieting external noise, reconnecting with one’s internal voice, and recognizing that experience—not youth—is the true advantage of the second half of life. Throughout the episode, Troy reinforces the idea that reinvention is not about starting over, but about reapplying everything you already know with greater intention. Midlife, he argues, is not a closing chapter—it is often the moment when the best tools, clearest values, and boldest opportunities finally converge. Connect With Us: 📩 Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wasitchancepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow Was It Chance? on your favorite podcast platform 📱 Connect with us on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ✨ More about Heather at her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to her Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and more⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit Heather's Bookshop⁠⁠ Visit ⁠⁠The Reading Well⁠ EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Midlife is not a limitation but an advantage, because experience, resources, and clarity make it the best time to pursue meaningful dreams Intentional risk means saying no to opportunities that don’t align with your values, even when they look impressive from the outside Knowing what you want your life to feel like is more important than chasing titles, validation, or conventional success paths The entertainment industry, and life more broadly, rewards timing, fit, and narrative as much as raw talent Networking sideways with peers on a similar journey often leads to deeper, longer-lasting opportunities than chasing gatekeepers Building community before selling anything creates trust, momentum, and sustainable success Reinvention is not about starting over but about reusing what you already know with greater intention and confidence Clarity comes from turning down external noise long enough to hear your own internal voice. Fear never fully disappears, even for highly successful people, but it does not have to dictate your choices The greatest regret is not failure, but never giving yourself permission to live the life you truly wanted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • #105 - Paul Pape: Santa for Nerds, Making the Things That Don’t Exist Yet

    #105 - Paul Pape: Santa for Nerds, Making the Things That Don’t Exist Yet
    Jan 20 2026
    What if saying “yes” before you know how is the real creative superpower? In this episode of Was It Chance, Heather Vickery and Alan Seales sit down with Paul Pape—creative problem navigator, TEDx speaker, author, and the man affectionately known as “Santa for Nerds.” From a studio in Nebraska, Paul has built custom props, collectibles, and prototypes for Disney, Universal, Nickelodeon, Broadway, and The Tonight Show, becoming the go-to person when clients need something that doesn’t exist yet. Paul shares how a theater background, relentless curiosity, and a bend-don’t-break mindset led him from being told he’d never act again to designing iconic objects for film, television, and live entertainment. Along the way, he breaks down how creatives can build sustainable businesses without sacrificing their artistic soul—by charging for labor, reframing pricing, and even gamifying business strategy. This conversation is a masterclass in intentional risk, creative problem solving, and why the “starving artist” narrative deserves to be retired for good. Connect With Us: 📩 Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wasitchancepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow Was It Chance? on your favorite podcast platform 📱 Connect with us on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ✨ More about Heather at her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to her Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and more⁠⁠ ⁠Visit Heather's Bookshop⁠ Visit ⁠The Reading Well EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: Creative success often comes from saying yes before you know how, then trusting yourself to figure it out along the way. Efficiency and experience increase your value, not decrease it, and your pricing should reflect that growth over time. Charging too little attracts the wrong clients and limits sustainability, while pricing appropriately creates commitment and respect. Failure is not a stopping point but a critical step that teaches faster and deeper than success ever can. A background in one creative discipline can unlock opportunities in entirely different industries if you stay curious and adaptable. Gamifying business concepts can make strategy, pricing, and structure more accessible for creative thinkers. Creative work has real labor value and must include compensation for time, skill, and years of experience. Building a sustainable creative business requires surrounding yourself with people who complement your weaknesses, not mirror your strengths. The myth of the starving artist persists only when creatives undervalue their work and avoid business fundamentals ntentional risk, combined with passion and problem solving, can turn unconventional paths into long-term creative careers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    58 mins
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