On this week’s episode I talk with Jenna Terese, author of Ignite, a novel about a girl with superpowers in a world where superhumans aren’t considered the heroes.

Sculptor Bonnie Brushwood shares her artistic process with us, from having a conversation with her work to taking advantage of happy accidents. We also discuss the importance of finding beauty in the world, how much an artist should say about their work, and how sculpture can be a therapeutic experience.

Can working on films still be your dream job after the director throws a chair at you? Does that one guy everyone talks bad about deserve a second chance? Production Designer Courtney Johnson joins the show to share her experiences in the film industry. We also talk about why so many people aspire to work in movies and how what you value in life can change as you grow.

Figuring Skating isn’t just a sport, but also a skill that carries with it a unique blend of athletics, beauty, and creativity. My guest Tiffanie Lovett discusses starting to skate at a young age, what keeps her going after years of competition and practice, and how watching her favorite actors inspires her technique.

Food production has changed drastically over the years, and not always for the better. But is there any hope for returning to the old ways of doing things?

This week’s guest, Miller Mark Fischer runs Castle Valley Mill — a stone ground mill where he uses machines that are hundreds of years old to produce quality flour, cornmeal, and more. By using age-old techniques on local grain, Castle Valley is able to produce a product that’s not only better for you, but tastes better too.

It’s everyone’s dream to have a job that doesn’t feel like work. But sometimes there are hidden pitfalls that come with that. Our guest Rob Krekel shares with us his love for sound design and talks about how overextending ourselves can take a toll over time. We also discuss his creative process, how Ben Burtt inspired him as a kid, and advice for new creatives.

New Years — a time where we put together our next set of goals, and… all too often promptly forget to make them happen. It can be tough creating new routines to accomplish what we want, but thankfully there are a variety of resources to help us get to where we want to go. I chatted with Author Lia Murati about one of these methods. She’s a firm believer in writing down your goals and focusing on what you want — so much so that she’s created her own book called The Manifestation Journal. We discuss this, as well as how creativity helps you understand yourself and how life can often imitate fiction.

Are patterns in story connected with patterns in music? Is something Plato said relevant to cautioning us about the metaverse? On this episode I chat with Pianist Jeff Dershin about how proper listening can create opportunity to connect with your audience and add extra meaning to your art. We also discuss audience participation, The Hero’s Journey, and why it’s important to choose a path in life that has heart.

What is the secret to staying relevant in a world that’s always changing? This is one of the many things I had the chance to discuss with Rudy Manning, the Chief Creative Officer at Pastilla. Rudy shares tips for creatives through his personal journey, from studying graphic design to creating campaigns for a wide variety of clients, including LA Parks, The Golden Globes, and Microsoft.

Have you ever found walking around in nature helps with your inspiration? Author Michelle Adshead created her first children’s book about the Appalachian trail, covering everything from the incredible sights to trail edict. We also discuss advice for creatives just starting out, the importance of taking a step back when overwhelmed, and what it’s like to eat a half gallon of ice cream in one sitting.

What mediums come to mind when thinking about good storytelling? Perhaps books, tv shows, movies, and even some video games. But what about a website?

This week’s guest, Josh Donnelly believes storytelling is a vital part to good web design. He shares his journey from video production to creating websites and brand logos. We also discuss how to apply what you know across disciplines, learning on the job, and why people feel impostor syndrome.

Why is it important to find new ways to create and where do we find inspiration to try new things? This is one of the many topics I covered with this week’s guest, Composer Eimi Tanaka. We also discuss Eimi’s jazz background and its influence on her work, her process for developing themes, and the contrast between composing for television and creating a concert work.

No matter how far we’ve come, there’s always new avenues to learn and grow. This week’s guest is historical fiction author Liz Tolsma. She shares how her passion and love for learning pushes her to constantly improve her craft. We also discuss how to choose what to write next, which time periods count as historical fiction, and her personal connection with her latest book, A Picture of Hope.

Relationships with family and friends are one of the most meaningful things in our lives, so it’s natural that our art finds inspiration in them. This week’s guest Felicia Manning shares how family stories led her into the film industry and how they inspired her first screenplay. We also discuss creating projects with limitations, balancing family life with creative work, how to connect a character with the audience, and more.

Have you ever stepped back and wondered how you got to where you are today? This week’s guest Amanda Gearhart shares her unique journey from child birth educator to starting her own baking business. We also discuss the beauty in baking with family, how non-traditional career paths are becoming more acceptable, tips for new creatives, and more.

Are there crossroads between two completely different art forms? After you listen to my discussion with Painter Evan Harrington I think you’ll find that there certainly is. We discover many similarities between our creative approaches -even though our work is incredibly different. We also discuss his interest in aviation, the benefits to following format early in your career, and his latest exhibition at The Silverman Gallery.

Leaving an old path behind and starting a new one can be intimidating. But the truth is when we turn the page, we’re not starting from zero. We take with us everything we’ve learned so far. This week’s guest Eliana Morin shares her experience with this concept in growing as an artist.

The internet age has given everyone more opportunity, including endless ways to overload ourselves with increased workloads, endless distraction, and busy minds — it can all be overwhelming to navigate. This week’s guest, Author K.A. Emmons, shares her approach to maintaining a balanced life while running her business online. Kate recently released a new novel called Searching for Sparrow. We cover some of the themes in this book and why they’re important to her life. We also discuss why to live with intention, how responsibilities can prompt better focus, and much more.

All of us creatives run into issues while making our art. There might be time constraints on a project, an issue with the sound system, or a new venue we’re not quite used to. There are typically infinite ways to go about solving these problems, but I’d argue that your work will be much better off if you can find a creative approach to solving that problem. My guest this week excels at that very thing, and it’s one of the many topics we cover on this week’s show.

Many creatives brush up against a common roadblock — the dreaded impostor syndrome — a feeling that they're unworthy to contribute their creativity to the world, a feeling that they are “lesser” artists.

This is just one of many topics I had a chance to discuss with this week's guest, singer Nicole Johnson.