A Christmas Day walk-and-talk reflecting on burnout, grief, ADHD, alcohol, ambition, and learning to live more gently. This special episode of Where Are We Heading? is a quiet, honest reflection on the year that’s been — and how to move forward without burning out.

Dan and Kim talk about grief, first Christmases after loss, sobriety, ADHD, anxiety, burnout, and the pressure we put on ourselves to “be further along.” Instead of setting big resolutions, they explore what it looks like to slow down, listen to the body, and let life be enough — even when things aren’t perfect.

Kim shares how burnout has reshaped her relationship with work, ambition, and self-worth, and how practices like meditation, exercise, and compassion have become essential tools rather than optional extras. Dan reflects on grief, reflection without regret, and finding meaning in presence rather than productivity.

As always, the conversation unfolds while walking, grounded in the landscape, the moment, and the reality that none of us have it figured out.

This episode is for anyone ending the year feeling tired, reflective, or quietly hopeful and for those who want to enter the next chapter with more kindness and less force.

Key Takeaways

• Letting go of New Year’s resolutions in favour of compassion

• Burnout as a turning point, not a failure

• ADHD, anxiety, and the body’s memory of trauma

• Grief and first Christmases after loss

• Sobriety, alcohol, and changing relationships with celebration

• Meditation and exercise as regulation, not optimisation

• Learning to say no without guilt

• Measuring life by presence, not productivity

• Why slowing down can actually create space for better things

  
  

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  Credits

  Hosts: Kim and Dan

  Podcast: Where Are We Heading?

  Logo Design: Jane Hogan Illustrates

  Music & Production: Kim

  Recorded in: Margate, UK

In this episode, we walk with sound artist and producer Brian d’Souza to explore the power of deep listening, nature, and sound as tools for creativity and healing. Brian shares the story behind his work with bio-sonification, field recording and Ambient Flo, and opens up about losing his father during lockdown. A grounded, thoughtful conversation about sound, grief and how nature helps us reconnect.

In this reflective walk through London’s Alexandra Palace grounds, we’re joined by Brian d’Souza — award-winning sound artist, DJ and founder of A State Of Flo and Ambient Flo.

Together, we explore how nature, sound and creative practice can become lifelines during overwhelming moments in life.

Brian shares:

• How lockdown shifted his awareness of the seasons, soundscapes and the natural world

• The origins of Ambient Flo, and why listening became essential during a time of global uncertainty

• How field recording and “deep listening” changed his relationship with creativity and presence

• The science and art behind bio-sonification — turning the electrical signals of plants into music

• What nature teaches us about interconnectedness, sound, and attention

• His experience of losing his father during lockdown, and how walking and nature became part of navigating grief

• The role of responsibility, lineage and “stepping up” after loss

This episode beautifully weaves together creativity, sound, ecology, grief and healing — all through the lens of a walk outside.

KEY THEMES / TAKEAWAYS

• Nature as lifeline: How walking and open space helped Brian through lockdown and loss.

• Deep listening: Using attention and presence to reconnect with the natural world.

• Soundscapes & ecology: Understanding the layers of sound — geological, biological, human — and their impact on wellbeing.

• Bio-sonification: Turning plant bioelectricity into musical expression.

• Grief & responsibility: Processing the death of a parent through nature, movement and reflection.

• Creativity & healing: How sound, attention and ritual connect us to ourselves.

Brian d’Souza is an award-winning sound artist, DJ, producer and live performer known for blending field recording, global influences and electro-acoustic techniques. Through his work as Auntie Flo, A State Of Flo and Ambient Flo, Brian explores the psychological, ecological and healing potential of sound. His innovative work has been featured by the BBC, Tate Modern, Glastonbury, New Scientist, The Guardian and more.

http://www.briandsouza.in/

http://www.astateofflo.com

www.soniferous.app

https://www.instagram.com/auntie._.flo/

https://auntieflo.bandcamp.com/

Join the journey https://linktr.ee/whereareweheadingpod

Credits

Hosts: Kim and Dan

Guest: Brian d’Souza

Podcast: Where Are We Heading?

Logo Design: Jane Hogan Illustrates

Music & Production: Kim

Recorded in: Alexandra Palace, UK

In this honest and open walk-and-talk podcast episode, Where Are We Heading? co-host Kim reflects on releasing her new EP after years away from music. She and Dan dive into what it really feels like to return to something you love - the nerves, the pressure, the data, the burnout, and the quiet joy of simply creating again.

Across the conversation, Kim opens up about the realities of coming back after a long break: rebuilding confidence, setting boundaries, protecting your wellbeing, and learning to make work that fits your energy rather than pushing against it. Together, she and Dan explore what it means to define “success” on your own terms, reconnect with your craft in a healthier way, and find a rhythm that actually supports your life.

A reflective, grounded episode for anyone navigating a return - to creativity, to music, or to themselves.

They talk about:

• Releasing music in an age of metrics, data, and algorithms

• The pressure to perform online and how to release at your own pace

• How the body signals burnout (and why it often hits right after a big creative milestone)

• Finding a balance between ambition and rest

• Redefining what success means when you no longer fit the industry mould

• Building connection through smaller, slower, more intentional art experiences

• Why sometimes “starting again” is the bravest creative move you can make

Recorded while walking through Canterbury, this conversation captures the mix of reflection, laughter, and real talk that defines the show.

🔑 Key Takeaways / Themes

• Creative growth is cyclical — it’s okay to pause, restart, and do it differently.

• Burnout often shows up in the body before the mind catches on.

• Metrics don’t define meaning - creativity is about connection, not numbers.

• Building slowly and sustainably is a radical act in a culture of urgency.

• There are no rules anymore - and that can be both freeing and frightening.

• You can’t make your best work in survival mode.

Join the journey https://linktr.ee/whereareweheadingpod

CreditsHosts: Kim and DanPodcast: Where Are We Heading?Logo Design: Jane Hogan IllustratesMusic & Production: KimRecorded in: Canterbury, UK