Actor Noah J Ricketts: Living In the World of "Why Not?"

 Broadway, TV & Film actor Noah J Ricketts joins Lisa in a lively and heartfelt conversation that illuminates the importance of authenticity and self-care, challenging societal norms, and the power of acknowledging our achievements.

Noah's story is one of resilience and courage, as he shares how he's faced challenges head-on, including dealing with anxiety and the impacts of the pandemic on his career. Yet, it's his commitment to question everything that truly inspires. Always living in a world of 'why not', Noah challenges limiting beliefs and encourages us all to harness the power of authenticity. His morning rituals, aspirations, and dreams offer a fascinating glimpse into his world, from his audacious goals of bridging various creative realms to his experiences leading Broadway shows.

It's an exploration into the life of a creative soul navigating life's challenges while staying true to our passions. Tune in and get ready to be inspired, motivated, and maybe even challenged to view your world from a different perspective.

Find out more about Noah:
Noah J. Ricketts   Broadway: Kristoff in "Frozen: The Musical", 'Beautiful: The Carole King Musical'. Off Broadway: Omar - in "To My Girls" (Second Stage Theatre) Regional: Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby Musical, Michael in 'Tick Tick... Boom' (Bucks County Playhouse) Television credits include the breakout role of Frankie in the Showtime series "Fellow Travelers" streaming now, Kai in American Gods (STARZ); High Fidelity (Hulu); Christmas Deja Vu (BET). His film work includes the horror comedy Summoning Sylvia, The Sixth Borough, The Fiji Incentive. In Concert: The Houston Symphony, The Kentucky Opera and Stage Entertainment Russia. BFA: CCM. Instagram: @noahjrkts.

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Chapters

• 0:24 Living in the Moment
• 13:46 Challenging Limiting Beliefs and Embracing Authenticity
• 23:00 Finding Purpose and Overcoming Challenges
• 29:41 Big Goals, Broadway Shows, Energetic Choices
• 37:35 Creative People Finding Community and Authenticity

Transcript

Lisa Hopkins: 0:24

This is the Stop Time podcast. I'm your host, lisa Hopkins, and I'm here to engage you in thought-provoking, motivational conversations around practicing the art of living in the moment. I'm a certified life coach and I'm excited to dig deep and offer insights into embracing who we are and where we are at. So my next guest made his Broadway debut as a drifter and beautiful and was a part of the original Broadway company of Frozen before taking on the lead role of Kristoff. Full-time he has appeared off-Broadway as Omar into my girls at Second Stage Theater and recently played Nick Caraway in the Great Gatsby at Paper Mill Playhouse. His film work includes the horror comedy Summoning Sylvia the Sixth Burrow, the Fiji Incentive, and his television credits include the breakout role of Frankie in the Showtime series Fellow Travelers, which is streaming now and looks amazing. I've not checked it out, but I am going to. I'm really looking forward just to sitting down with Noah J Ricketts today. Welcome, noah.

Noah Ricketts: 1:30

Thank you, thanks for having me.

Lisa Hopkins: 1:31

It is such a pleasure. Where are you now? Let's just set the context. What's going on for you right now?

Noah Ricketts: 1:39

So I'm literally in Mexico. Yeah, I try to get out of New York when I get a little gloom and doom and stay in some sunshine. I've spent the last nine weeks in a rehearsal space with those horrible overhead lights that make you feel crazy like you're in the hospital all the time, then in the dark theater with spotlights, so I needed some actual sunlight in my life. So I am in Mexico, which has been nice.

Lisa Hopkins: 2:11

Amazing. How long are you there for?

Noah Ricketts: 2:13

I am here for about two weeks, yeah.

Lisa Hopkins: 2:18

That's wonderful. I'm curious to know where are you in that trajectory. Are you at the beginning of the two weeks in the middle, towards the end? Where are you?

Noah Ricketts: 2:25

I'm only three days in like three or four days in.

Noah Ricketts: 2:32

I got a long ride here, which it takes a while for me to lean into relaxation, especially living in New York, so I feel like I need those extra days to like okay.

Lisa Hopkins: 2:43

Totally, that makes sense. Are you at somewhere where you've been before? Is it somewhere brand new?

Noah Ricketts: 2:48

Yeah, somewhere I've been before. It's probably like maybe fifth time here, which I like too. I don't feel any pressure to do anything or see anything, I can just like hang out.

Lisa Hopkins: 2:58

I love that. I love that you skip that whole element.

Noah Ricketts: 3:00

Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins: 3:01

Yeah, so talk to me a little bit about, well, where are you at energetically right now. It sounds like a bizarre question a little bit, but I'm curious now. I know that you've been off a really busy time.

Noah Ricketts: 3:15

Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins: 3:15

And that you're now what I love already. What I'm learning about you is that you know what you need. And so you're giving that to yourself right now. So, yeah, that's great, and I'm just curious to know where are you at, sort of, in terms of are you a think ahead person? Are you thinking when I get back, like do you have stuff lined up? Are you leaving it open? Where do you go from?

Noah Ricketts: 3:40

Yeah, I mean, as soon as I get, you know, the plane lands and the wheels are on the ground, it's like I'm off to the races again. So, you know, I feel like energetically, I feel a little bit like I'm empty, like I'm a little bit like like, like, a little bit like the well is kind of empty. I've spent many the last, honestly, last couple of years just like working, working, working, working, working and like giving away a lot of creative energy. And I feel like I'm at a place where I'm attempting to kind of like refill the well of it and kind of give back to myself. And I feel like, as artists like you, give, give, give to projects and this and that and concerts and you know, whatever it may be. But when it comes to, like you know, refilling the well, I don't think we do that enough and definitely not taught to do that. So that's what I'm attempting to do with my time here is kind of give back to self and get back, to get back to me.

Lisa Hopkins: 4:43

That's amazing and that's huge and is vulnerable, isn't it A little bit?

Noah Ricketts: 4:48

Yeah, it is, and I have to be honest, like I'm not sure how to do it, but I'm attempting to do it because I can. I, I, I could feel it coming on the last couple of months, Just like you know, you, when you start giving yourself to these projects, I'm sure you know it's so consuming, Like it's so energetically consuming all of you, like your physical body, your mental energy, everything you've got. And I'd spent the last couple of months like getting this new musical off the ground. So I need a little, I need a little back, you know.

Lisa Hopkins: 5:23

Yeah, do you give yourself space to acknowledge what you've done and what you've given? And I under I'm hearing you say that you're you're aware that you do give and give and produce and you know and all of that, but do you actually also give yourself grace for that, for the action of doing that? Do you know what I mean? Forgiving of yourself?

Noah Ricketts: 5:46

I'd probably say not enough. And it's only in times when I hear someone like you, like when you just read that bio back and I'm like, oh yeah, that and that and that and that, that I that I realized like the length of time and the projects and how much like I've actually done. And so I think it's kind of rare that we stop and look at our lives and like, oh yeah, I did that and I did that and did that and give grace to ourselves. But it is something that I should try and practice more, because I actually don't think I do it very often.

Lisa Hopkins: 6:16

Yeah, and what do you think about now? It's interesting. Maybe you've not experienced this, because from my research it seems like it's been. Your trajectory has been very quick, right From the from the moment you got invited to to do the Carol King musical. It was kind of you hit the ground running right, was? That was like your first time in New York, I think.

Noah Ricketts: 6:35

Yeah, I was in New York for like a couple of weeks and that's kind of like how that got off the ground.

Noah Ricketts: 6:40

I mean, I think it's very interesting because, like, what the, what the public sees and what is the truth, as you know, are like two different things. I had been, I had been, you know, preparing and training, like since I was a kid I mean I was a baby, so you know, going to dance class all the time, going to my voice lessons all the time, my acting class, you know, doing the scene work that nobody saw, thank God, and like. So by the time I got to New York, I remember this feeling of just like, oh my God, I'm so sick of talking about it, let's, let's just frickin do it, do it already. You know, you train so much that you just like I'm sick of training, I just want to do the thing I have trained for. And so I was so blessed, like you know, that show, they needed someone super last minute, I literally just like got off the plane and came to New York and it kind of like, you know, rocket launch me into stuff which was wonderful.

Lisa Hopkins: 7:33

Yeah, and has there been any lull for you, or has it been pretty much straight on one thing after another?

Noah Ricketts: 7:39

You know, I think, like it's been, I've had a lot of like one thing after another which is really good, but I think in the in the doing of the jobs, I've always realized that I wanted more, and I think that was kind of like the thing I had to learn during the process. Like you know, I got my first Broadway show and I finally was on Broadway, a goal that I worked like so many, so many decades to like to accomplish. And then I one day I remember being like OK, like what's next? And I had that feeling which was like a scary feeling because you work so hard to get to like the first step, and then you're like, well, what else do I want with my life? And then it was from there that I had to.

Noah Ricketts: 8:18

I realized like I wanted to tell stories. I didn't want to just support in the background and do other you know, support other people's stories. I wanted to be the one telling the story. And so that began this whole kind of another journey that led me to Frozen and, you know, like playing my first principle on Broadway. So I feel like in the job that I've done, I've always gained this understanding of what I wanted to do next.

Lisa Hopkins: 8:43

Interesting.

Noah Ricketts: 8:44

Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins: 8:44

And does that, does that sort of present itself as a kind of bucket list, or is it more of a feeling that there's more that you have to give?

Noah Ricketts: 8:55

I think I guess I'd say like a little bit of both. You know, I think you get into these situations that you've romanticized so much in your life and you know, the glitter rubs off and you're like OK, well, I'm the only person responsible for me. And like, what am I leaving behind when I leave this earth? You know, like what, what is this legacy that I'm leaving behind? And like, little by little, I've like pieced that thread together and it's gotten bigger and bigger and bigger. So I think that's the kind of understanding I take from it. And the bucket list thing was definitely like at the beginning of my career, you know, I wanted to be on Broadway. I didn't care how it happened, I just needed to make it happen. You know, I wanted to be on TV. I wanted to do it. You know, like things that I wanted to do, that was definitely a bucket list aspect. And then, as I've done them, I've gained a greater, greater awareness of myself and like the contribution I kind of want to leave when I leave this earth.

Lisa Hopkins: 9:48

Yeah, it's interesting. That is one of my questions, which is you know, how do you, how do you want to be remembered?

Noah Ricketts: 9:56

I mean, I think, like unintentionally, I've kind of like started this. I created this path for myself of first like of like, kind of pioneering, you know like, when I was growing up. Like when I look back, I think of how delusional I was to even get into the acting space because I didn't see black gay men on television, I didn't see them in movies, I didn't see their stories reflected on Broadway. I barely saw people of color at that time. And so to like have these two things I was holding at the same time be a real existence in my life and not see them portrayed through my art, my artistry, was a huge challenge and it wasn't until I got into the industry that I realized like, hey, there's this giant gap.

Noah Ricketts: 10:45

And now, when I look back at the TV and the movies that I was attracted to, it was the niche love stories of, you know, a black gay couple. You know, like it was these little tiny bits and pieces that I was so attracted to and I couldn't find out why. And I'm like, oh well, that's a reflection of me and I think what I want to leave behind is that legacy of like. You know, you can be a black gay man and lead a television series. You can be a black gay man and be different and lead a Broadway show and nothing is a hindrance to you. But you know like you can, you can actually do the thing.

Noah Ricketts: 11:22

And so I think, as I you know, I've had a lot of young people. You know other boys and girls of color look up to me and I never like aspired for that to be a thing, it just kind of happened. And now that I know that it's a thing, I feel this like great importance to give back to my little self, you know, like little Noah that never had that, and to all the people that are behind me, like working hard to get there. So I hope that answers your question, but that's the word ease is coming to me.

Lisa Hopkins: 11:55

You know, you kind of. You said that I was I can't remember what word you use but you did say that you were a little bit, you know, delusional. I think you said delusional to think that a gay, you know, and it's interesting because what, the way I see it is, you weren't delusional at all. In fact you were completely undiluted. Because it is delusional to think that those, those people cannot do it. That's delusional. And so to me, what I'm feeling is that you actually came into that later because it sounds like and I could be wrong, but it sounds like you kind of came into it and it happened and you never really thought about that until you got there and people were like, wow, you're the first this and the first that and first other. Is there anything in there that I'm hearing?

Noah Ricketts: 12:39

I think you're totally, I think you're spot on with that and I think, like we pick up so much from the world around us and like you know, what we see reflected back to us, and I think, like that's an area that I've picked up and never even explored myself until maybe this, this very moment.

Noah Ricketts: 12:56

But I mean, you're so right. Like I never set out to be the first, I just knew that I could do the thing, like I, and I didn't know how and I didn't see a path and I then there no one guiding me toward it, you know, besides the teachers that saw talent in me and helped me usher me along Like I just had this unwavering sense that like I can do that thing, and so I just kept making, I just kept trying to put one foot in front of the other and like make that damn thing happen. And I think that would be my advice to anyone. You know, your biggest obstacle is yourself, and that's something I have have learned, and you know, learned and unlearned and relearned and everything in between, and I think that is the important thing. That is a great reminder to myself and a great reminder to anybody. Listening is like you are your greatest obstacle, and if you feel like you can do this thing, then just you have to figure out the ways to do it.

Lisa Hopkins: 13:54

Exactly. I mean, you're talking about agency which which is colorblind.

Noah Ricketts: 13:59

Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins: 13:59

You're talking about humanity, which is colorblind. Yeah, you're talking about a young human and sexual. All about that is nothing to do with it. You're talking about the feeling of I know, yeah, can do this, but you didn't go, I can do this. It sounds like I can do this despite the fact that I'm black and I'm gay and I'm from Kentucky, and you know all the things that people would tell you Right, and those are their limiting beliefs. Limiting beliefs are things that are, like you said, brought on by society, and then we start going, oh, yeah, I'm going to do that. You know, and it's interesting because I would, I would encourage you to. You know, yes, that exists, those big limiting beliefs exist, but if we play into them by the way that we interact in the world as a black, gay male actor, then you're you're wasting energy, you're you're giving it power.

Lisa Hopkins: 14:49

You know when you're, you're fighting it and you're, and it's unsustainable. If you're fighting it, right Cause you lose your, why, your, your, why, your, why was not to come into the world and prove something? If you happen to be approving it along the way, then great, it's just like your. Your why is not to, you know, be wealthy. If you happen to get wealthy doing what you do, then great. But but you want to stay. That's not the goal, right? Do you see what I mean? Yeah, yeah, it's so fascinating to me and it's really wonderful to meet you. See, I felt this in you. I felt this, this um, this well, I guess it's agency and this authenticity, this sort of believing in yourself, not despite. There's no caveat.

Noah Ricketts: 15:28

You know what I think that's like. I mean like, yeah, yeah, I mean I've all like. When I think about my younger self, I mean I've always lived in this, this like world of of like, why not, you know? And I it was like a big problem growing up, like I would question everything. I'd be like, well, why not, you know? Like church, school, anything, I would ask the questions. You probably you know that you get slapped on the wrist for asking, and I think that's also like one of the I mean it's like a great quality to have that I that I realized now is that like, why not Like? Why can't you do the thing? You know what's holding us back?

Lisa Hopkins: 16:04

Yeah, it's your superpower. It's really your superpower, like I feel like. I feel like what it wouldn't matter what you did or where you applied it to, you would be that way. There's nothing to do with the arts.

Noah Ricketts: 16:17

Yeah, yeah, yeah, thank you. I appreciate that as I become a scientist.

Lisa Hopkins: 16:24

Well, it's really interesting because and I really do believe that you know the way we do one thing is the way we do everything. So you know, which actually brings me to let me ask you this if you, if you couldn't do or chose not to, so I don't want to. I don't want to imply that there's some kind of you know, you can't do this because that makes you want to fight, maybe. But but if you couldn't, for whatever reason, or there was no arts, what?

Noah Ricketts: 16:46

would you?

Lisa Hopkins: 16:47

do? What would you?

Noah Ricketts: 16:49

do Interesting. So I I always had this fantasy of it's going to sound silly, but being a plastic surgeon. And it's because it is because I used to sneak in and watch that show, Nip Tuck. I don't know if I remember that show, Nip Tuck. And like I wasn't supposed to watch it and it was super racy, and like I was like, oh, that would be so cool. So I always used to say like, oh, I want to, I want it to be a plastic surgeon. Now I think you know, now I think I would do whatever gives me the most free time and with the biggest financial reward. Like now I think, like it would be something like that, because, like what I love to do, like if I is get lost in the world of wonder and read books and paint things and play the piano for hours and do all that stuff, so whatever would afford me a lot of time and a good amount of money. I think that's what I do. So be fair to that job out you let me know.

Lisa Hopkins: 17:49

I will. Well, you could create it right. Let me, my God you're. You're an OJ for kids, I'm one, why not? Why not Exactly? I mean it's funny because somebody might say I don't know Answer the same question I'm not sure and just get curious, which is there's no right or wrong answers. But you know, it's the fact that you can even sort of you know into it something you know you kind of it's actually pretty specific. You were not sure what the job is, but that's because the job hasn't been created.

Noah Ricketts: 18:20

Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins: 18:21

Yeah.

Noah Ricketts: 18:22

So I feel like it always be, whatever it was, it always be arts adjacent. You know, like I'd always it would be somewhere around there, no matter what I was doing, you know. So that's that.

Lisa Hopkins: 18:35

I love that. What would you say is your guiding principle, like, is there one that kind of like if you wake up in the morning or feeling down, or whatever? Is there something that you say, or something that you think, or something that gets you going, or maybe just something, I don't know.

Noah Ricketts: 18:48

I'll wake up and I feel like that.

Noah Ricketts: 18:49

You know, like it's certainly a good tip. Yeah, I guess I have a pretty good ritual. Like every morning I wake up and I do my morning pages or my daily journal thing and I feel like, whatever I say in that, no matter what it is, it's the act of kind of like getting out of my head and into my hand, kind of moving, letting the feelings move through. Like that is what kind of like gets me into life and gets me into the day, and like that has been a world of wonder for me because I've discovered things that were causing me anxiety, that I didn't even know were there, and I've gotten creative on the page in a way that just allows me to feel free and feel really flowing. So like I don't know that I have a phrase or something that I look to every day because I feel like that is constantly changing. But I do know that my daily practice is to sit with myself and check in with myself and say like, how are you doing today? You know, how'd you sleep? What are we gonna do?

Lisa Hopkins: 19:52

You know that type. Yeah, I love that. I love that. I think I asked you in that little form that I sent you. What, if anything, do you think stands between you and who you wanna be? And you said getting the world on board with my vision of the future, which I thought was interesting.

Noah Ricketts: 20:09

I do see a world where, like, people are allowed to be themselves and be who they wanna be. And I think sometimes I, like you know being in like these industries you run up against obstacles. You know You're called like. I remember being called like the out of the box choice for a role and I was like there's nothing out of the box about like what skin tone, like you know, like you know. So I feel like what I meant by that is like getting the world to like clear out all of its shits and like accept people for where they're at, who they wanna be that day Maybe they wanna be someone different tomorrow. Accepting people in different positions, like whether it be on TV, whether it be in the valet, like it doesn't matter what it is. But I think, like my vision of the future is a world where anything goes, people are allowed to free flow and be who they wanna be and work without limitation.

Lisa Hopkins: 21:13

Absolutely. Yeah, I love that I'm with you. I'm sitting in it for a minute.

Noah Ricketts: 21:20

It feels lovely, doesn't?

Lisa Hopkins: 21:21

it no.

Noah Ricketts: 21:23

I just think it's so true.

Lisa Hopkins: 21:24

I think it's so true, oh yeah, and it'd be so easy. It's so obvious.

Noah Ricketts: 21:28

And I think that's what makes it super frustrating. You know, mm-hmm, that people that sometimes I think about the year we're in and I'm like how can we still be so small minded about things?

Lisa Hopkins: 21:42

Yeah.

Noah Ricketts: 21:43

And I think, yeah, and I think critical thinking is like a lost art form in itself. Oh yeah, we are just so full of opinions and labels and boxes that, like we, I think we forget to stop and think. You know like I think again and think again and allow there to be paradoxes and allow things. You know one thing. Maybe you know a whole two things in your hand at the same time, and I think the simple act of that could solve a lot of the world's issues.

Lisa Hopkins: 22:19

Yeah, you're speaking my language. There's something that I read on Instagram of yours that we can talk about it or not, but I was just curious because it stood out to me and you talked about the hardest year of my life. You said so many dark days, so many. You're talking about 2020, right? Yeah, so many sad moments, so much wine. Here's to unimaginable and imaginable change. Here's to moving forward without a path and here's to the reflective moments I never wanted but seriously needed. I love that. It's beautiful.

Noah Ricketts: 22:52

Yeah, I mean so 2020,. I mean that's the hard year for a lot of people, as we should say yes, it did.

Noah Ricketts: 23:00

But I remember like, actually like pre pandemic, I was working on Broadway. I was playing Christoph on Broadway and I had done I mean, I was coming up on like year three of the thing you know, like I was tired and that wasn't including like the three years before doing another show and all of the work for that, you know, working to get to the show. So I was feeling really creatively drained then and actually physically exhausted, you know, my voice was going, my body was going and I didn't have any free time. You know, like eight shows a week plus trying to like keep myself in sync to do the actual job was taking up all my time.

Noah Ricketts: 23:43

And so I remember, leading up to the pandemic time, I had a panic attack in my dressing room and it was the first time I had ever I really experienced that and it was bad. It was bad and like my beautiful friend, the dance captain of the show, like truly came and calmed me down and it was just that I had been running so fast and so hard and like doing the opposite of everything I talked about, which was like checking in with me. And so I finally did. I said hey. I talked to, you know, disney and I said, hey, I need like six weeks off, like I need like real time to heal and recover and like I am lost, I need to like come back to me. And that is so crazy. But the day that I asked for time off, but I knew I was getting it, pandemic hit and everything shut down, and so I got a text from the universe okay.

Noah Ricketts: 24:35

The universe really listened and I got a text from our like associate director and he was like man, you really wish that that time off into being huh. And I was like I guess so. And so, you know, we're into the pandemic and you know what was. The short time became a long time and very quickly into that the job I thought I was going back to. We were on a zoom call for two minutes and was pulled out from underneath me and I think it was like I mean, it was like one of the scariest times my life. You know, the world was up in arms.

Noah Ricketts: 25:07

We were so, you know, germaphobic at that time about everything. We didn't know how things were gonna go and I, the only things I knew or I'm not going back to this job, everything that I worked for has just the carpet's been completely pulled out from underneath me and I had to like sit with that. I had to like get comfortable, being uncomfortable really, and for the first time in my life and because I wasn't running around, I got to think about, like, what I wanna do and I had speaking of bucket list, I had some bucket list things I wanted to do, like I realized like I could no longer go on like doing my art form in the way that I had done it. I needed to do work. That was important, that's had a message behind it, that was for all of the things I listed before and that was like a non-negotiable for me, like I was like life is gonna end, like time is short and that moment was real for me and I was like I have to do things that I wanna do and my activism is doing it through my art form.

Noah Ricketts: 26:14

And another huge goal that I wanted to accomplish was to be a series regular on television and I was like now is the time I have to make this dream work. And I had nothing to help me out with that, like just me and my by why not? And that was that moment like sitting with myself and realizing my own dreams and then working step by step to make it happen, and like throughout that I started to get little TV gigs and life started to come back. And it was that dark moment that actually was the greatest moment of my life because it completely changed the trajectory of my life. I stopped apologizing, I was very conscious of how I use my time and I really kind of got clear on my central message of how I wanted to move forward with my career and with my art. So that's what that post about.

Lisa Hopkins: 27:07

Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah, it is beautifully written, by the way, but it's also so evocative, so thank you for sharing that with us. It's really beautiful.

Noah Ricketts: 27:16

Yeah, I love that 2020, woof.

Lisa Hopkins: 27:18

I know, but I love that, the me and my. Why not Like? That's the way you roll, right.

Noah Ricketts: 27:24

Yeah, I think so, and you helped me realize that for sure.

Lisa Hopkins: 27:28

I feel it, I love it. What would you say is your Achilles heel? Like what's your weakness? Do you know what I mean by that? Like what's your weakness?

Noah Ricketts: 27:38

Why no, no, no, no no.

Noah Ricketts: 27:42

I'm weak on that?

Noah Ricketts: 27:44

No, no, I think, like you know, I think my own weakness, I think, sometimes is like my own neuroses, like I think, like I think sometimes, okay, if I don't do a good job of getting the thoughts out of my head, like flowing them through, I spin and spiral and I think in the spin and spiral comes frustration, and comes frustration with the world, and then anger, and then, you know, I lose sight of, like what the point was at the very beginning, and I think that is sometimes what happens to me and I feel like I'm on like this, like world clock, of where that happens, and I've got to get back to self and then I come all the way back around.

Noah Ricketts: 28:23

You know, I think that that is the thing and it's like, you know, as humans, it's like this whole like relearning the things you already knew, and it's that cycle for me. So I feel like that's what happens, you know, it's like frustration turns into anger. You know I run up against the block and then I, you know, get into my head about things. I'd say that's the thing that I constantly try to work on.

Lisa Hopkins: 28:48

So what's your definition of living in the moment? Do you have one?

Noah Ricketts: 28:52

I'm not sure I have one. I mean, I know I've experienced the doing of it and I've practiced doing it and I, you know, like I guess I'd say like it's like putting one foot in front of the other and not deciding which step comes next, like letting the universe kind of guide you to that next thing and seeing what comes of a good, bad, different, strange, accepting what it is and flowing with it. And I know for my life, like I've experienced like that gets harder and harder to do the older you get, and so I always try to get back to that. But I don't know if I have a definition, so much as like a feeling of it, and it's definitely something to be practiced, that's for sure.

Lisa Hopkins: 29:39

Cool, I love that. Hey, what's one big, audacious goal that maybe you haven't put out in the universe yet? Do you have one?

Noah Ricketts: 29:48

I okay, yeah, and I don't know if I can say it, but I, I don't know. I feel like it's to be creative in other realms, beyond like the ones that I'm known for, and to tie them all together in a way. So, like you know, like you know, the fashion space, the jewelry space, the creative art space, like and figure out a way to like pull them all together in a brand or a being or something Like. I think that's like a big, audacious goal that I have, that I am like trying to figure out how to manifest in a way hey, maybe it's that job, that dream job of yours.

Lisa Hopkins: 30:31

I think it might be that's cool.

Noah Ricketts: 30:36

Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins: 30:36

I can see that I thought, oh, I'm going to follow up with that.

Noah Ricketts: 30:39

Yeah, please do Keep me on schedule.

Lisa Hopkins: 30:43

Oh my gosh, what's the hardest thing you've ever done?

Noah Ricketts: 30:50

The hardest thing I've ever done. You know, I've led some like Broadway shows or pre-Broadway shows and I feel like those are some of the hardest things I've ever done, because you have to know the script in and out, backwards, forwards, upside down, your lines, their lines, everyone's lines. You've got this massive production on your shoulders and you also kind of beyond your duties of like singing, dancing and acting your butt off. You have to kind of be the company man and rile the troops and get everyone inspired and you're the face of this giant thing. And so sometimes those I feel like those are some of the hardest things I've ever done, because I'm physically exhausted and mentally exhausted but still have this really big responsibility to get us to where we need to be as a group, and that type of all-encompassing exhaustion is what makes it so challenging.

Lisa Hopkins: 31:53

Interesting, so you've done it. Obviously it didn't kill you. So what did you learn? What did you learn from that?

Noah Ricketts: 32:01

I think I learned that I could do it, which was a big thing to learn. Yeah, I remember my first time like leading a show and what was the script? Like 132 pages and I was off stage for three of them. I learned that I could do it, which was, I think, the most important thing that I could learn, because it's not something that can be practiced so much as something that has to just be done, and when the challenge is put in front of you, you'll figure out a way to rise to the occasion. And that really shifted everything for me, because when I realized I could do it, I couldn't undo it, I could not do it anymore because I have this awareness that I can do this. And that was a great, great feeling.

Lisa Hopkins: 32:46

That's amazing. I have this thing I call the choice capacitor an energetic choice right? So the way I see it, there are five energetic choices. The five energetic choices go like this the first one is I can't right. So in your story you get this responsibility and the thought is I can't do this right, but then you push yourself energetically a little bit to the next one. The second energetic choice, which is I have to do this. I have to do this. It's winter, loose, black and white, it's like, because if I don't, I'm going to embarrass myself, I'm going to die and I'm going to let everybody else down whatever it is, but that's I have to, but it's unsustainable. If you go from I have to, it's got some energy behind it for sure, but you can only last that long. That's where burnout exists and eventually you're going to go back down to overwhelm, which is I can't. The third one is just right out. So if you imagine like an arc like this and is is what is I should?

Lisa Hopkins: 33:44

Okay, now, this is what made me think of it, because you were talking about, because what I call I should is a little more energetic. You're moving kind of a little bit out of fear and more into possibility, right, but I call I should as I could, with shame. But if you lose the shame, then you're right up here and you've got I could, which is what you just described, and once you're in I could, you can go to the next easily. Not only could I, but I want to.

Lisa Hopkins: 34:20

And I want to is the next choice. And when you go, I want to, it starts being attached in a good way, not attached connected to your. Why I want to? Because I want to stretch myself, I want to support my community. I want to, whatever it might be. And once you're in, I want to, and you're already doing it. You're already playing the role, you're already leading the troops, you're there and when you take the moment, you, you, you're right at the right, at the fifth energetic choice, which is I get to, which is choice with gratitude. And so, when you do, I get to do this right and it happens, and I go through these right. What do you think about?

Noah Ricketts: 35:06

that I mean I think that's like such a beautiful way to put that whole experience in the context. Like I think I've been through that whole arc in like a single day, like you know, like I, I really do. I think I've, like you know, even in a matter of hours, like I've been through that whole entire fricking spectrum and I love that you just like put into context in a way that you can like I can almost see. I mean I haven't seen you in chart, but I can see it in my mind's eye and I think so much of like what we feel it's. It's hard to know how to verbalize because we, we don't have the tools to, and you know, we don't learn these things as a as a young person, it's only like when we absolutely need them to be fine, people are longer lives that teach us these beautiful things. So I love that it's in a beautiful spectrum form and I think it's so absolutely spot on.

Lisa Hopkins: 35:58

That's in a way to format it. Yeah, I'm glad to share that with you. I'm glad that it resonated with you.

Noah Ricketts: 36:03

So fun. Yes, I need that, I need that, I need that chart.

Lisa Hopkins: 36:06

Yeah, well, that's you, I, it's yours. Yeah, we can play. It's pretty too. I mean, it's quite pretty. It's purple and black. Okay, let me ask you this. Actually, let me ask you this why did you come on the podcast? Why did you say yes?

Noah Ricketts: 36:22

I don't know, because I I feel like, when I looked at the people that you had you had like an array of like great people and I liked the format in which you did this, like the video, like the video, you know, like the I don't know I had, like this I was like, oh, that looks really cool and I liked that it didn't seem like you wanted anything from anyone, which is, you know, something I experienced from time to time. So I just felt like you were interested in that. I love that too, Like I I've always interested in people's stories. I think it's like one of the things that makes us so interesting and unique, like talking to people and figuring out like, why are you here and how did you get here and what do you think about all of this, and that's quite simply like what you do, and I thought that's beautiful and effective and sure why not?

Lisa Hopkins: 37:08

I love that.

Noah Ricketts: 37:10

I also would add to that, like I would say about like space and holding space. It's not, you know, when I do podcasts or I do blogs or whatever, it's always about something like you know, a project that you're doing or promotion or whatever, and I think that's important too. But it's very rare that you just talk to someone and I think that's the most beautiful, one of the most beautiful things we have. You know, the gift of communication.

Noah Ricketts: 37:35

And I think, like as creative people, because there's not so much of this happening like I know for myself, like I have even like the chart we were talking about, where I felt like, oh my God, I can't. And you look around you and you think, well, everybody else could. So I feel single, I feel like I'm the messed up one, you know, in all of this. But it's only until you get vulnerable to someone else who in the same industry or adjacent industries, that you realize we've all gone through this same fricking thing, you know, in our own version of it, and I think, like that communal aspect of being a creative person is something that gets lost in the publicity and the shuffle and the you know and all the stuff. So it's nice to be able to speak to another creative and have creative people listening and realize like they're not alone in all of this.

Lisa Hopkins: 38:26

Yeah, no, for sure, for sure. Hey, what do you know? What do you know will stay true about you, no matter what happens.

Noah Ricketts: 38:35

I think what will stay true is I will always be authentic to myself, authentic to the people around me, think I will always tell the truth and be a truth teller, for better or for worse. I think I will always do my best to give back and uplift others around me, like I've experienced from others. I think those are the things that I will make sure that they stay true, no matter what happens.

Lisa Hopkins: 39:09

And so when I ask you that, I mean that came so easily and to my listeners like I don't give the questions to my guests before, so he didn't prep that and no, and it's interesting, so it's so ingrained in you. It's not like anyone asks you that on a regular basis. I mean, if I asked you the story about how you broke your wrists and got into show business, you could rhyme that off with your eyes closed, right. But when I ask you a question like that and it comes up so honestly and authentically, actually you're kind of living what you're saying. Does it help? Like does it help you? I mean, it's always there. But when I actually ask you just to express it out loud, does that help you reignite a little bit.

Noah Ricketts: 39:53

Yeah, I mean, I think it like helps me get back to the root of why I'm doing all of this in the first place, or like why I do any of this at all, and just like actually communicating it out loud is a great reminder to myself and, to be honest, like I don't know what comes next in this grand thing we call life. But I do think I do know that if I hold true to those things, they're pillars along the way that won't produce the results that I'd like to see in the world, and I think that's what's most important.

Lisa Hopkins: 40:28

Yeah.

Noah Ricketts: 40:30

I'm an internal person. I'm always thinking, especially if I'm in a work environment. I'm always like, okay, thinking to myself, and I think I'm always a little bit worried about how I'm perceived, because I think in those situations I can come off as quiet and I think, maybe standoffish or whatever, because I'm kind of like digging into myself and the task at hand. And so I'm always a little bit worried about that perception of me and I always like now try to verbalize like I'm not a bitch, I'm just thinking. You know what I think. I think silence and I think it's like it can be a scary thing to sip certain people Like you know, like because you don't know where you're standing with someone. But I have learned over the years to kind of verbalize that I'm just internalizing everything that's going on and like that is like part of my process. And you know something I'm working on, like trying to do that and be open to all people and be a little more communicative in this space.

Lisa Hopkins: 41:34

Let's do. I always finish with this rapid fire. It doesn't have to be rapid, but it can be, and I'm just going to say what makes you and I'm going to say word, and then you can just answer Okay, you ready.

Noah Ricketts: 41:48

Sure.

Lisa Hopkins: 41:49

Here we go. What makes you hungry? Food? Where did you go in your brain when I asked you that? What was going on?

Noah Ricketts: 42:04

Well, what happened was I, you know, like when I eat, I like will be hungry 10 minutes later. So I'm like what makes me hungry is literally the act of food Like I eat and then I'm like okay, that's hilarious.

Lisa Hopkins: 42:16

What makes you sad? Hmm, being misunderstood. What inspires you?

Noah Ricketts: 42:33

The possibility of things getting better.

Lisa Hopkins: 42:40

What frustrates you?

Noah Ricketts: 42:42

The blocks to things getting better.

Lisa Hopkins: 42:44

I knew you were going to say that it stands to reason. Yeah, it's hilarious. No, fair enough. What makes you laugh?

Noah Ricketts: 42:53

You. Okay, I'll take that. Yeah, I'm going to stick with that, what makes you angry? Wrongdoing, hmm, yeah.

Lisa Hopkins: 43:09

Yeah, and finally, what makes you grateful?

Noah Ricketts: 43:14

Reflection.

Lisa Hopkins: 43:16

Hmm, love that. What are the top three things that have happened so far today?

Noah Ricketts: 43:24

I sat by the pool, I had a really good latte and I journaled without stopping.

Lisa Hopkins: 43:35

Hmm.

Noah Ricketts: 43:36

So I completely free flowed through that, which was good.

Lisa Hopkins: 43:40

Oh, I love it. What stops you sometimes when you're journaling, like what interrupts it?

Noah Ricketts: 43:44

Uh, monitoring my own thoughts. Hmm, like uh, you know should it, I've got you.

Lisa Hopkins: 43:50

Yeah, that's how long did you do for today?

Noah Ricketts: 43:54

Oh, at least like 30 minutes.

Lisa Hopkins: 43:56

Oh wow, that's amazing.

Noah Ricketts: 43:58

Just yeah, just going.

Lisa Hopkins: 44:00

And do you go back and read it right away or do you just close it?

Noah Ricketts: 44:03

Never just close it. That's amazing.

Lisa Hopkins: 44:06

You never look at it again.

Noah Ricketts: 44:07

I know, I know I never do.

Lisa Hopkins: 44:09

Oh, that's so cool.

Noah Ricketts: 44:09

I have a couple of journals though.

Lisa Hopkins: 44:11

I was going to say how many do you have?

Noah Ricketts: 44:13

I have so many journals because I buy them and I'm like, oh yeah, well, I need that one, or I'm going to need that one.

Lisa Hopkins: 44:18

Yeah.

Noah Ricketts: 44:19

But I, like you know, like a bad day journal, I've got like a daily journal and I've got like an inspiration journal. I've got a gratitude journal. I've got a lot of journal I love that.

Lisa Hopkins: 44:26

I love that. What's something that you're looking forward to today and then long term?

Noah Ricketts: 44:32

Today I'm looking forward to getting to the beach and long term, I'm looking forward to things in my life happening, just happening.

Lisa Hopkins: 44:48

Yeah, fair enough. Yeah, fair enough. No, it's been such a pleasure speaking with you today.

Noah Ricketts: 44:55

Oh well, lovely. Thank you so much I appreciate it Truly.

Lisa Hopkins: 44:58

It's been my pleasure. I've been speaking today with Noah J Ricketts. What's the J for James, noah James Ricketts? I'm Lisa Hopkins. Thanks for listening. Stay safe and healthy, everyone, and remember to live in the moment. Yay, in music, stop time is that beautiful moment where the band is suspended in rhythmic unison, supporting the soloists to express their individuality In the moment. I encourage you to take that time and create your own rhythm. Until next time, I'm Lisa Hopkins. Thanks for listening.