Shows
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#033: Patrick Williams Reclaims the Wonder: Finding Your 5-Year-Old Artist AgainCreativity isn't just a nice-to-have skill—it's as essential as oxygen, water, and food for meaningful human existence. Artist Patrick Williams draws from decades of experience to reveal how our natural creative abilities become "colonized" as we grow up, often leading to what he calls "creative collapse" in various domains of expression.Patrick's journey from a child doodling on church bulletins to a professional artist offers profound insights into the resilience of creativity. He shares the pivotal moment when losing beloved woods near his childhood home channeled his grief into artistic expression, forever cementing creativity as his li...2025-07-2853 min
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#032: Renuka Rajagopalan is Breaking Artistic Boundaries: From Classical Dance to Garage ArtWhat happens when traditional artistic boundaries dissolve and diverse creators come together? Renuka Rajagopalan answers this through her groundbreaking work with the Garage Arts Project in Plano, Texas. Our conversation reveals how creativity thrives at the intersection of disciplines, cultures, and community.Renuka's journey begins with a charming childhood story from India, where as a third-grader she independently sought out a dance teacher and signed up for classical Bharatanatyam lessons. Nicknamed the "rowdy girl" who bicycled around town joining various artistic pursuits, her early independence foreshadowed her future as a creative visionary. Unlike many creatives’ stories, her pa...2025-07-2153 min
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#031: Running Towards Pain Awakened the Divine Creator Within Mark Russell JonesWhat happens when we stop running from our pain and instead race toward it with open arms? In this soul-stirring conversation with artist Mark Russell Jones, we discover how embracing our deepest wounds can transform not just our art, but our very humanity.Mark's journey into authentic artistic expression wasn’t linear. Coming from a working-class background where art was relegated to "hobby status," he initially pursued more practical creative paths. It wasn’t until becoming a father that he made the pivotal decision to fully embrace his identity as a painter – realizing he couldn’t teach his chil...2025-07-141h 08
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#030: From Moss Shoes to Unicycles: Surtzy's Fearless JourneyWhat does it mean to live a life driven by boundless curiosity? Surtzy takes us on an extraordinary journey through her creative existence, where each day brings a new project and every experience becomes potential artistic fuel.From crafting avant-garde moss shoes for sustainable fashion shows to performing as an aerialist, Surtzy embodies the spirit of fearless exploration. Her story begins at just four years old, when her parents normalized creativity as "just part of life," even encouraging her to repurpose trash as canvas when conventional materials were too expensive. This shaped her approach to creativity as...2025-07-0651 min
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#029: Becoming the Vessel: Finding Flow in Creative Destruction With Eric Breish"You've got to have the fire." These words from metal artist Eric Breish capture the essence of the creative journey—that inexplicable burning passion that pulls you back to your craft even after declaring "I'm done" just a day before.Eric's path to becoming a full-time artist winds through unexpected territory. From Marine Corps service to IT work to audio engineering, he eventually discovered his artistic voice through metal—creating three-dimensional works that challenge perception and evoke physical responses in viewers. What makes his art truly special is impossible to capture digitally; the way light reflects or abso...2025-06-301h 16
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#028: Finding Your Voice When No One Is Telling You What To Create With Christi MerilWhat happens when you create art purely from your soul, without worrying if it will sell? For Christi Meril, that authentic approach became the foundation of a thriving artistic career she never planned to have.In this captivating conversation, Christi shares how a simple act of love—creating a handmade menorah for friends—unexpectedly launched her journey as a multidimensional artist. Despite no formal training, she's now a resident artist at ALG Fine Art in the Dallas Design District, creating distinctive mixed-media works that blend urban industrial elements with natural beauty."The one thing in my l...2025-06-231h 03
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#027: Living Art: Embracing Creativity in Daily Life With Jennifer LockeThe way you live your life is an act of art. This profound truth forms the foundation of our conversation with writer Jennifer Locke, who shares how creativity became the organizing principle guiding her journey—from shy college student avoiding creative writing classes to professional ghostwriter and aspiring novelist.Jennifer reveals the delicate balance of pursuing artistic passion while managing family life with three young children. She speaks with refreshing honesty about the vulnerability required to call herself an artist despite facing a decade of rejection in traditional publishing. "I've been heartbroken," she admits, describing the peculiar pa...2025-06-1658 min
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#026: Passion Over Stability: Sara Baumann's Journey to Creative EntrepreneurshipSara Sparky Baumann's creative journey demolishes the myth that artists must struggle financially. Born into a family of artists but pushed toward traditional careers by her Iranian mother, Sara pursued occupational therapy while nurturing her art on the side. The pandemic became a turning point—witnessing life’s fragility in healthcare settings sparked her resolve to follow what truly fulfilled her.What sets Sara apart isn’t just talent—it’s her entrepreneurial mindset. She’s built a thriving career by mastering business fundamentals. From founding the Women and Weapons community that raised over $170K for the Malala Fund...2025-06-0957 min
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#025: The Actor's Blueprint: Tony Hale III Wouldn't Settle for Only One PassionWhat happens when a creative refuses to choose between passion and practicality? Tony Hale III, professional actor and corporate tech professional, shatters the myth that artists must struggle or sacrifice to pursue their craft.Growing up watching classic films with his grandfather in Memphis, Tony's path to acting wasn't straightforward. A fateful high school elective class introduced him to theater, where his teacher immediately recognized his talent. Fast forward to today, and Tony has built parallel careers – one in acting across various genres and another at a Fortune 500 tech company. Unlike many creatives who see their day jo...2025-06-021h 00
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#024: The Art of Self-Acceptance: Keke Brooks Turns Pain into PowerWhat happens when we refuse to fit the mold others created for us? Keke Brooks, a musical theater performer and psychology student, joins us for a soul-stirring conversation about turning pain into passion through creative expression.Keke opens her heart about growing up as a preacher's kid who "never felt like she fit in," struggling with social anxiety and ADHD while simultaneously developing her gifts as a performer. Rather than allowing these challenges to define her, she's transformed them into wellsprings of authenticity that fuel her performances and connect her deeply with audiences. As she beautifully puts...2025-05-2655 min
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#023: Your Life is a Masterpiece in Motion With Creative Coach, Jill Allison BryanEver dismissed your natural talents because they come easily to you? That’s exactly what creativity coach Jill Allison Bryan wants you to stop doing. "When we do something well or have done it a long time, we discount it," she explains, encouraging us instead to celebrate these gifts.Through an engaging conversation with hosts Dwight and Maddox, Jill shares her remarkable journey from Nashville advertising copywriter to Caribbean yacht stewardess to Dallas-based creativity coach. Her pivotal moment came when she asked, "If not now, when?"—selling her possessions and moving to the islands with just a guit...2025-05-191h 06
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#022: Dancing with Uncertainty Lead to Authentic Creative Expression with Anna IrvineAnna Irvine's life trajectory changed forever when her Bulgarian aunt delivered a simple but profound diagnosis during her darkest mental health struggle: "You don't have a community." This revelation sparked a transformative journey from corporate rigidity to becoming one of Dallas's most passionate art advocates and community builders.Born in Bulgaria during post-communist turmoil, Anna's family sought stability across continents before settling in Texas. Despite securing the "right" education and career in risk management, something was missing. When pandemic isolation triggered severe depression and anxiety, Anna found herself bedridden, hospitalized, and questioning everything. Her recovery began with...2025-05-1253 min
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#021: Finding Your Artistic Voice When Cultural Expectations Say Otherwise With Mukund KuntimadWhat happens when your passion collides with cultural expectations? Mukund Kuntimad's journey from computer science student to professional animator reveals the transformative power of persistence and creative community.Growing up with Indian immigrant parents in Texas, Mukund faced the subtle pressure many children of immigrants know well—the unspoken expectation to pursue "practical" careers. His story isn't about rebellion, but about the gradual unfolding of artistic identity through unwavering dedication. After completing a computer science degree he didn’t love, Mukund’s unexpected acceptance to Don Bluth University—the animation school founded by the creator of Land Before T...2025-05-0545 min
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#020: Creating Mental Wealth: Sherry James on Well-being and Creative ExpressionA revolutionary approach to mental health emerges through Sherry James's powerful concept of "Creating Mental Wealth." Drawing from her 30+ years in corporate America and personal journey through profound loss, Sherry introduces us to a framework that transforms how we understand our emotional well-being.The magic of Sherry's method lies in its accessibility—she teaches people to treat mental health like balancing a checkbook. Every experience becomes either a deposit or withdrawal from your mental wealth account. A walk in nature might add millions to your balance, while a toxic relationship could represent a significant withdrawal. This simple ye...2025-04-281h 03
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#019: How Not Caring What Others Think Unleashed April Chavez' CreativityWhat happens when you stop giving your power away to other people's opinions and fully embrace your creative self? April Chavez, host of the Wellness Driven Life Show and CEO of Driven Living LLC, shares her remarkable journey from survival mode to creative thriving in this illuminating conversation.April's path hasn't been easy – navigating systemic lupus since childhood, working in male-dominated fields like law enforcement, and raising three daughters as a single mother. Yet these challenges became the contrast she needed to discover her authentic direction. "I don't know many people who aren't doing extraordinary things in li...2025-04-211h 05
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#018: Beyond the Lone Artist: How Connection Transformed Creative Entrepreneurship for Marissa HeylIn a world that often celebrates individualism, Marissa Heyl's creative entrepreneurial journey reveals something profoundly different: the extraordinary power of community. As program manager for SMU's Social Impact Lab and founder of multiple ventures, Marissa shares how connection has fueled her ability to pivot through life’s biggest challenges.The spark that ignited Marissa's path came during a transformative college trip to India, where she witnessed how traditional craft served as both cultural preservation and economic empowerment for women artisans. This experience eventually led to Symbology, her sustainable clothing line that’s thrived for twelve years by conn...2025-04-1455 min
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#017: Mental Health & Creativity: One Artist's Journey With Rich WrightRich Wright's powerful journey from darkness to hope will resonate with anyone who has struggled with mental health while pursuing artistic passions. After surviving a suicide attempt and twelve weeks of intensive treatment, Rich realized traditional psychiatry couldn't provide the answers he needed, sparking his quest for alternative healing that transformed his life.Rich shares his career transitions—from fashion design for Bacardi International to jewelry making to his role as an "artist lifestyle coach"—emphasizing how creativity and spirituality became pillars of his recovery. He believes creativity isn't just an activity but a spiritual practice that chan...2025-04-0759 min
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#016: The Art of Breaking Free: Amber Goodwin's Journey from Cultural Expectations to Creative LiberationWhen 12-year-old Amber Goodwin discovered glass painting in Pakistan, she couldn't have known her creative journey would require breaking free from cultural expectations, an arranged marriage, and toxic artistic communities before finding her authentic voice. Growing up in a traditional household where art was "just a hobby," Amber faced immense pressure to pursue conventional careers despite her passion for creation. Years later, after living under her parents' roof into her thirties, she made the courageous decision to claim her independence—a choice that paralleled her artistic awakening. As she gained agency in her personal life, her creative co...2025-03-3158 min
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#015: Andrea Lamarsaude: Creativity Requires Community as Much as SolitudeWhen tragedy struck Andrea Lamarsaude's life in 2014—her family home burned to the ground, taking everything including beloved pets—she turned to art as therapy. What began as painting at her dining room table transformed into a journey that would eventually lead her to create Art on Main, a thriving community space in Dallas housing 22 artists with regular exhibitions."Don't be overwhelmed by marketing your art," Andrea advises creatives who feel frozen by the business side. "You are the one in control. Take baby steps—maybe just open an Instagram account and share your process." This practical wisdom...2025-03-2440 min
For the Love of Creatives: Unlocking the Power of Community#014: Berend McKenzie Finds His Voice: Art, Addiction, and the Power of CommunityJoin us for a powerful conversation with Berend McKenzie, who candidly shares his journey through creativity, resilience, and the vital importance of community. In this episode, we explore how Berend's early challenges, including struggles with ADHD and past traumas, propelled him toward the arts and shaped his identity as a creative. Berend opens up about mentors who guided him on his path, demonstrating how crucial these connections were in helping him transform adversity into artistic expression. As he reflects on his vulnerabilities, he emphasizes how embracing these aspects has not only enriched his work but inspired authenticity i...2025-03-171h 04