C.

What does it mean to live beyond expectation?In this special Pride Month side quest, TK shares an exclusive excerpt from conversation with artist, producer, educator, author, and creative force DJ CherishTheLuv. Together, they explore queerness not simply as identity, but as a practice of becoming- of questioning inherited beliefs, rejecting limiting systems, and allowing yourself to grow into all of your possibilities.From gender expansiveness and chosen love to creativity, healing, family expectations, and releasing generational burdens, this conversation is an invitation to live a life that is bigger than the boxes we were handed.Inspired by the spirit of Audre Lorde, this excerpt asks: What if queerness is also a way of imagining a freer life?  What happens when we stop carving ourselves into shapes that make other people comfortable?  How do creativity, healing, and self-discovery help us become who we're meant to be?This episode also features a moving message from Jordan Knoxx, who shares how music helped bring her back to life during one of the darkest periods of her journey.Support the ShowWant the full conversation?The complete extended interview with DJ CherishTheLuv is available on Patreon. Support independent audio storytelling and unlock bonus episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and more at:Patreon.com/SecretLife ofTKLeave a MessageCall The Secret Lifeline and leave a message for a future episode:(929) 551-4363🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈The Secret Life of TK Dutes is hosted and executive produced by me, Keisha TK Dutes. Special thanks: DJ CherishTheLuv, Mike Brown (Recordist), C. (Engineer), Faybeo’n Mickens (Marketing), Pat Mesiti-Miller (Theme and credits music).👉🏾 Follow DJ CherishTheLuv on IG: @DJCherishTheLuv👉🏾 Follow TK on IG: @tastykeish | @philosfuturemedia👉🏾 Go behind the scenes on Patreon: patreon.com/c/SecretLifeofTK

What if healing isn’t about going back to who you were- but becoming someone new on purpose? What if your life is not something to survive, but something to re-create?In this minisode, I sit down with super multi-hyphenate creative (DJ, author, Broadway producer), CherishTheLuv to talk about creativity as survival, healing, and rebirth. From a life-altering head injury to breast cancer and remission, Cherish shares how losing memory, identity, and certainty led her into a deeper relationship with music- and ultimately, herself.We talk about what it means to take ownership of your body and your story, how trauma can reshape not just your life but your sense of self, and how creativity became the tool that helped her rebuild from the inside out.For Cherish, music became the bridge back. For me, her story was a mirror.If you would like to SEE (yup it’s video!)  the RAW full conversation between me and DJ CherishTheLuv, become a contributing member of my patreon- we got into religion, our queerness, and how making room for our creativity opens us up to love. For the full conversation, join us at patreon.com/secretlifeoftk. I would love to hear from you- call me on The Secret Life Line at ‪(929) 551-4363‬ and leave me a message! That and a 5 star rating and reviews help because your experiences help people feel like they're not alone. The Secret Life of TK Dutes is hosted and executive produced by me, Keisha TK Dutes. Special thanks: DJ CherishTheLuv, Mike Brown (Producer), C. (Engineer), Faybeo’n Mickens (Marketing), Pat Mesiti-Miller (Theme and credits music).👉🏾 Follow DJ CherishTheLuv on IG: @DJCherishTheLuv👉🏾 Follow Mike Brown on IG: @theartoflettingopodcast👉🏾 Follow TK on IG: @tastykeish | @philosfuturemedia👉🏾 Go behind the scenes on Patreon: patreon.com/c/SecretLifeofTK

After Episode 3, A Season of Loss with Tah Whitty, I got a voice note from our listener/friend Z - and I had to share it. Your messages mean everything, and you can always leave me one at ‪(929) 551-4363‬.Because of the messages and feedback from folks I wanted to share an excerpt of producer, Amanda B. Nazereno's award winning podcast Six Degrees of Cats, where she asks about Our Feline Fictive Kin: Are Cats Full Fledged Family?  If you’re thinking about companionship, chosen family, or just living life on your own terms- this one’s for you.Follow @6degreesofcats on IG and keep your ears peeled for a certain someone featured in another episode- Beyond Taylor Swift: Who Are Cat People? ;)Big thanks to Z for the call, Amanda (+ Binky, Snuggles, and Peanut!), and the Cat Museum of NYC for including us in their pet loss grief guide: https://www.catmuseumnyc.org/resources/grieving-a-pet

In this mini-episode of The Secret Life of TK Dutes, TK shares a story time about how creativity and community helped her find her way back to herself.Burned out, depressed, and desperate to get off the laptop, TK started making functional art just to keep her hands busy. What began as an exercise in avoidance turned into an unexpected metaphor for her own life and marked a turning point.The episode also features listener call-ins about healing, reflection, and rebuilding.📞 Call The Secret Life Line: (929) 551-4363 🎙️ Or send a voice note to philosfuturemedia[at]gmail[dot]comProduced by Keisha “TK” Dutes Post-production audio by C.More minisodes and behind-the-scenes moments to come. **Coming Soon: Episode 2: An Invitation to Sit**

Hey friends, The way y’all have been pulling up about Episode 1, The Hustle Don’t Love You Back, has been… phewww. Thank you for trusting me with your journeys through burnout. But now I wanna hear from you, about your healing journey. The part where you started finding your way back to yourself. The small stuff. The weird stuff. The stuff that feels like a shortcut to peace. Maybe it’s art. Maybe it’s therapy. Maybe it’s your cousin telling you to sit down somewhere. Maybe it’s that one moment in the day where everything gets still for no reason.Call me and drop a short reflection.Start with: “My name is ___, and one thing that’s helping me heal is ___.”I would love to share some of these on The Secret Life of TK Dutes, so we can all learn from each other — how we’re healing, creating, and trying to imagine a life that feels like ours again.Leave your message at 929-551-4363 or send a voice note to philosfuturemedia@gmail.com.Can’t wait to hear what your healing sounds like — the soundtrack, the vibe, the whole mood.