Welcome to ItsPersonalPodcast, hosted by Gary R. Gray Jr.—teacher, writer, storyteller, and kid from Preston now teaching in Singapore. This ain’t your typical pod. No fancy edits. No perfect soundscapes. Just real talk. Sometimes it’s Gary, solo, diving deep—into childhood, into choices, into what it means to be growing, moving, becoming. He peels back the layers, questions his “accomplishments,” wonders out loud if he’s living a full life. It’s vulnerable. It’s honest. It’s personal.
Other times, he brings folks along—educators, authors, parents, artists, people who carry stories in their pockets and wisdom in their scars. Especially those from the Global Majority. The ones often unheard. The ones worth listening to.
Together, they talk identity, joy, loss, memory, meaning. They ride the back roads of becoming.
This space is human. Unscripted. Yours.
Find Gary everywhere @GaryRGrayJr.
All content for It's Personal Podcast is the property of Gary R. Gray Jr and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Welcome to ItsPersonalPodcast, hosted by Gary R. Gray Jr.—teacher, writer, storyteller, and kid from Preston now teaching in Singapore. This ain’t your typical pod. No fancy edits. No perfect soundscapes. Just real talk. Sometimes it’s Gary, solo, diving deep—into childhood, into choices, into what it means to be growing, moving, becoming. He peels back the layers, questions his “accomplishments,” wonders out loud if he’s living a full life. It’s vulnerable. It’s honest. It’s personal.
Other times, he brings folks along—educators, authors, parents, artists, people who carry stories in their pockets and wisdom in their scars. Especially those from the Global Majority. The ones often unheard. The ones worth listening to.
Together, they talk identity, joy, loss, memory, meaning. They ride the back roads of becoming.
This space is human. Unscripted. Yours.
Find Gary everywhere @GaryRGrayJr.
EP. 125 Antonio Michael Downing, Orphan Blue, Black Grandma's & creative freedom
It's Personal Podcast
35 minutes
2 years ago
EP. 125 Antonio Michael Downing, Orphan Blue, Black Grandma's & creative freedom
Join us on this episode of the podcast as we dive deep into the life and experiences of Antonio Michael Downing, author, musician, and speaker. Antonio shares his journey growing up in Toronto and the profound influence his grandmother had on his life and family. We explore the pressures that people of color face when creating and the challenges of letting go of control when it comes to something you've built and created. Antonio also shares his perspective on life as a bounty of creativity, and the mental health tools he uses to take care of himself. Tune in to learn more about Antonio's new book "Orphan Blue" and the powerful stories he tells through his work. Follow Antonio online: Website: https://www.antoniomichaeldowning.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/John_Orpheus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnorpheus/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.orpheus.3/
It's Personal Podcast
Welcome to ItsPersonalPodcast, hosted by Gary R. Gray Jr.—teacher, writer, storyteller, and kid from Preston now teaching in Singapore. This ain’t your typical pod. No fancy edits. No perfect soundscapes. Just real talk. Sometimes it’s Gary, solo, diving deep—into childhood, into choices, into what it means to be growing, moving, becoming. He peels back the layers, questions his “accomplishments,” wonders out loud if he’s living a full life. It’s vulnerable. It’s honest. It’s personal.
Other times, he brings folks along—educators, authors, parents, artists, people who carry stories in their pockets and wisdom in their scars. Especially those from the Global Majority. The ones often unheard. The ones worth listening to.
Together, they talk identity, joy, loss, memory, meaning. They ride the back roads of becoming.
This space is human. Unscripted. Yours.
Find Gary everywhere @GaryRGrayJr.