In this episode of Music Therapy I talk with Chicago artist Alana Schactel of Lipsticsm. Lipsticism’s sound is frequently described as cosmic, dreamy, and psychedelic, and there is something immediate and sensual in her punchy drums and emotional honesty.  We cover a lot of ground in this episode!  Alana is currently studying to become a therapist, so we discuss our shared experience in the worlds of music and therapy.  We look at how music impacts mental health, the anxiety of performing solo vs with a group, and Alana’s new album “Two Mirrors Facing Each Other”, released December 2nd via Earth Libraries. My favorite part of the conversation was learning Alana’s creative process.  We discuss flow and those nights when it just isn’t happening.  We also look at what it means to be a “successful” musician. Songs featured in episode: ”Transform” and ”Sentimental” by Lipsticism ******************************* Visit musictherapypodcast.com for show notes, past episodes, and upcoming events! Music Therapy Podcast Credits:  Music Therapy is hosted by Jessica Risker, produced by Sullivan Davis of Local Universe, and engineered by Joshua Wentz in Chicago.  Opening and closing music composed by Joshua Wentz.