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Bunny Up
Two new Hiccups tunes that encapsulate what it's like to have OCD and a serious relationship all rolled up into one messy ball. Up Here is that moment of perfectionism that sets the bar far too high for the rest of the relationship, especially if mental health is unchecked. Follow me on Bandcamp! Please and thank you! -Stoddard Not AI. Designed by Elina and A. on Taskrabbit.
Stoddard Blackall
Feb 11 min read


Made of Light
Long time no post! LIFE has been LIFING. I got married!! WE GOT MARRIED!! I’d sure say I beat my inner demon (Ghost). The more realistic viewpoint is that I have succeeded majorly in this lifelong game against the Ghost in me (Relationship OCD), and he’s trailing WAYYY behind. He has nothing on me. Sure, there are days when he feels closer on the Health Track but he’s still several laps back, so that feeling of being temporarily defeated from time to time is really an illu
Stoddard Blackall
Jan 312 min read


Hiccuping Mind, ep. 4 - Caitlin Murphy - Celebrating
WATCH US HERE We’re celebrating more than my musical’s debut album in this episode! We’re celebrating moving in together. My song, “Celebrate” from Hiccups has come to life! Only…without the drama of course. We made it through the hardest part of the moving process, and we recently vacationed in Disney World, almost to reward ourselves for arriving at such a milestone. This was my first time at Disney!! We are now benefiting from the steady rhythm of living together and bei
Stoddard Blackall
Jul 20, 20241 min read


My next guest is my girlfriend!
That's right. Caitlin and I sat down and talked ROCD. That sure was no candlelit dinner! But I have the kind of partner who cares about me, and us, enough that she'll put herself out there, so the experience wasn't half bad. Lucky me! I'm not gonna lie -- this episode has been a challenge. From start to finish. But mostly in post, the editing end of things. There has been a delay because we both want the video to be just perfect. "No such thing as perfect" my a$$! Ple
Stoddard Blackall
Jun 26, 20241 min read


Episode 4 coming SOON!
This episode of Hiccuping Mind is extra special. Like MY GUEST! Don’t miss it. Catch you then!
Stoddard Blackall
Jun 1, 20241 min read


Hiccuping Mind, ep. 3 - Alison Dotson - Ghost Hunting
Please welcome Alison Dotson, author, copyeditor and proof-reader extraordinaire. Unfortunately, this episode was cut short by unseen forces (technical difficulties), i.e. GHOST! While a lot of Alison's really honest and insightful words were not captured in it, this episode still stands out as an important and special take on the PURE O sub-type of the ugly disorder, OCD; I do hope you enjoy! If OCD is taking you as an April Fool today, you know better. You're in control. An
Stoddard Blackall
Apr 1, 20242 min read


Hiccuping Mind, ep2., part 2 - Kristin Varela - Hiccups
Part 2 is here! Remember, this Valentine's day, that you are part 1 AND 2 of your life, and your partner (if you have one), is their own whole person, their own separate being. But it's still nice to be a big part of each other's lives!! Kristin and I go into depth about Relationship OCD when it comes to being a parent (which I, personally, have no experience in), and the hope and shared experience that's out there, demonstrated by this very Vlog, and poets like Neil Hil
Stoddard Blackall
Feb 14, 20241 min read


Coming soon...
Part 2, Episode 2 of Hiccuping Mind will be dropping any day now. Kristin Varela talks OCD and how it plays a role in motherhood. Too fascinating to rush. I have little finishing touches I want to make. Thanks for being patient. It'll be here shortly! I've got my guest for the April 1st episode lined up already! Another author! Religious and existential OCD are some types of OCD we will touch on. More later! THANK YOU! -Stoddard
Stoddard Blackall
Feb 9, 20241 min read


Hiccuping Mind, ep. 2 - Kristin Varela - Hiccups
Success! I'm proud of this one. Episode delivered, as promised. This time, instead of dropping it on the 1st of the month, Groundhog Day felt more fitting: the most OCD day of the year. A day that could potentially keep repeating if it ever takes after Rob Reiner's legendary sci-fi romantic comedy. Cause that's what we OCD-ians do. We repeat our compulsions to eradicate our obsessions, only to watch them multiply exponentially, every passing day. We talk about the title
Stoddard Blackall
Feb 2, 20242 min read


Celebrating
I'm in the studio (Virtue and Vice!) with Rocky again. We're working on Celebrate and Hiccups (the song). Everything's working out, aside from some slight "hiccups" in the process. Rocky is a no bs mixing engineer and the best of the best. He mixed AOFine's Bunnyland! I'm considering asking my cyber friend from an OCD support group, whom I have never actually met, to be my next guest on Hiccuping Mind. He's a dog trainer! And I believe he also has ROCD. What an interes
Stoddard Blackall
Dec 9, 20231 min read


Hiccuping Mind, ep. 1, part 2 - Jeff Bell - Slanted
Hello again! Now are you getting the idea? Every other month, you'll get a Hiccuping Mind video post, hopefully of this wonderful nature (because I mean, come ON, Jeff is WISE, while also so unashamedly human!), and then if there is a second part (like in this case), you'll be able to watch that a week later. I am STILL star struck! But I'm now on the hunt for my next guest. I have a person in mind but I need more than that. I need a list. I've decided to broaden my hor
Stoddard Blackall
Dec 8, 20232 min read


Hiccuping Mind, ep. 1 - Jeff Bell - Slanted
Hi there readers and watchers! I am still astounded and star struck that I had the one and only Jeff Bell on the first episode of my video blog on OCD! This man is an inspiration. I am very happy with how this episode turned out. Give it a view, a like, and make sure to subscribe to my channel! Please enjoy the first installment of Hiccuping Mind, the video blog on all the shifting shapes of OCD and how it has affected the lives of artists and celebrities. This first epi
Stoddard Blackall
Dec 1, 20231 min read


Video Blog Sneak Peak
Hello! Even though this episode was centered around my Hiccups tune, "Slanted", Jeff Bell quoted my song, "Greater Good" from years ago, which had been directly inspired by his books, and dedicated to the man, himself! I'm so flattered! Please enjoy this sneak preview of the FIRST Hiccuping Mind video dropping on Nov. 30th. What a great experience. I am feeling motivated and excited. At the end of every month, expect another blog video with wise words from someone who has
Stoddard Blackall
Nov 28, 20231 min read


OCD Celebrity Tomorrow
Hello! It's been a hot second! I just got back from a long writing and recording retreat at my Dad's home way up in Addison (where my Maine recording studio lives!) with my new band, THE CATERERS (exciting stuff -- more about us soon!), followed by a special Date-Thanksgiving with my girlfriend*, Caitlin Murphy and my dad's three lovely dogs. Cait and me and 3 doggies, Addison, ME, day after Thanksgiving *My bandmates had returned to the New York area for the holiday and my
Stoddard Blackall
Nov 26, 20233 min read


Ring that Bell
I'm interviewing Jeff Bell, a "nationally recognized author, speaker, and radio news anchor" on Nov. 27th! He's the author of Rewind Replay Repeat: A Memoir of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and When In Doubt, Make Belief . Both books were life changing to me in my 20's. If Jeff agrees to the Zoom talk being recorded, I will share the video in my blog. If not, I will simply quote highlights of his wise words! I'm looking forward to hear his thoughts on how Greater Good de
Stoddard Blackall
Nov 2, 20232 min read


Ghost In Me
Feels like I'm in school again. I received an award from NOCD, the foundation I'm enrolled with, which "offers people access to OCD-trained licensed mental health providers, therapeutic adherence tools, and peer support communities whenever a provider isn't around." It stands for knowing OCD and simultaneously, saying NO to its craving for compulsions. In their words, "KNOW OCD and SAY NO TO THE COMPULSION DISORDER." NOCD is excellent and takes a whole lot of insurances,
Stoddard Blackall
Oct 18, 20232 min read


Sweet Janine Halloween
Don't be fooled by the song's poppy appeal. There's a dark undercurrent to its charm. "Sweet Janine" is about a toxic person*. Someone who takes advantage of you rather than lifts you up. Takes you for granted rather than appreciating you. It's funny because my girlfriend, Caitlin Murphy plays "Sweet Janine" in the music video, and she is the complete opposite of a toxic partner. She is loving, caring, kind and emotionally intelligent. Which makes it even cooler that s
Stoddard Blackall
Oct 15, 20232 min read


Lovin' Cure
There is no cure for obsessive thinking. There is only managing it. Dampening it. Understanding it. But for Shiloh and Liza, my characters in Hiccups, love, at first, feels like a definite fix to the downward spirals of life. Although I thought the song, "Pop, the Dress!" was going to be the next in line to be released, matching up with the literal poppiness of Sunny Songsters' "Sunny with a Chance of Bubbles", which is out now on all streaming platforms, "Lovin' Cure" fe
Stoddard Blackall
Oct 5, 20233 min read


AOFine
This is James Manzello, my buddy and bandmate. We have a band called AOFine. Check us out on Spotify or right here on my website's music page. He is also the Coincidance man, the Handsome Dancer. You might know him from the "wow, you can really dance!" TikTok craze. That's James. He's the viral creator behind it all. We are going away to my home (it's really my Dad's place) in Maine for 2 weeks in November. I have a home studio there. We'll see what we create together
Stoddard Blackall
Sep 24, 20232 min read


Sunny Disposition
Lately I've been a little more triggered. I have to admit, I have been a little less active with my daily exposure therapies, because it feels like life creates them naturally. The thing is, I'm doing them less frequently, but in a bigger way. I won't go into details there, for the privacy of my own treatment, but it's tough to face OCD fears. I should make sure to keep up with smaller, more frequent practices like I was. Guess I was getting a little cocky with my well-b
Stoddard Blackall
Sep 23, 20232 min read
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