Shows
For the Love of Creatives#049: Becoming By Subtraction: When Music Rebuilds A Self With Sean Patrick MaherWhat if the most profound shift of your life arrived as a single instruction: turn around and face the amp? That’s the moment Sean Patrick Maher describes—when a wave of sound churned grief through his body and out into the open, setting him on a path from musician to creator to founder of SomAlive Technologies. We dive into how sound becomes touch, how intention becomes architecture, and how community brings the meaning that sustains both.Sean Patrick unpacks the Z5, a vibroacoustic platform that lets you feel music as pressure and pulse. We talk about brai...
2025-11-171h 11
For the Love of Creatives#048: From Corporate Chains To Quilter’s Gold: How Blake Serrano Built A Fabric Business With No Money DownWhat happens when an ultra-competitive systems thinker walks away from a comfortable tech career and decides to build something real, messy, and human? Blake joins us to unpack how a failed $40k app, a seasonal toy, and one conversation with an 83-year-old shop owner sparked a thriving fabric business built on brand-name textiles, creative financing, and the infinite game of community.We dig into the scrappy playbook: validating demand before spending a cent, pre-selling through social media, and using content as a growth engine rather than a vanity project. Blake shares how “no money down” inventory deals actu...
2025-11-101h 03
For the Love of Creatives#047: Hara Allison Chose Art Over Chemo And Found PeaceWhat if your creative practice wasn’t a side note, but the reason you get out of bed? We sit down with Hara Allison—graphic designer, photographer, and founder of Dream Studio—whose mantra “make love and make art” is both a rallying cry and a roadmap. She talks candidly about living with incurable cancer, why she declined more chemo after it stole a year, and how choosing creativity brought her back to herself.Hara opens up about trauma, responsibility, and the moment she began to parent the “little Hara” within. We dive into mirror work, inner child care, an...
2025-11-031h 02
For the Love of Creatives#046: What If The Work Isn’t What You Do, But Who You Become With Maddox & DwightWhat if the most powerful upgrade to your creative life isn’t a new tool, but a new identity? We’re expanding our platform with a third pillar—becoming—and opening up a candid, behind-the-scenes conversation on choosing who you grow into and why that choice changes everything.We unpack the myth of arrival and the trap of quick fixes, then move into the deeper work that actually sustains craft and community. From self love as a daily practice to sharpening the saw for true creative flow, we explore how identity-based change helps you make better art, hold you...
2025-10-2746 min
For the Love of Creatives#045: Sabrina Handal Finds Her Purpose Isn't in Her Head... It's in Her HeartEver feel like you're creatively stagnant, pulled in different directions, and overthinking every possible path forward? You're not alone. In this vulnerable coaching conversation, we sit down with Sabrina, a graphic designer searching for greater fulfillment while struggling with perfectionism and the pressure to have everything figured out.The session reveals how many of us approach career decisions like marriage commitments when we should treat them more like trying on shoes... exploring options before making decisions. Sabrina courageously shares her journey of feeling stuck between staying in a predictable design career and pursuing something that truly lights...
2025-10-2052 min
For the Love of Creatives#044: The Science Behind Why Everyone Can Create and Thrive With Dr. Zorana Ivcevic PringleWhat if everything you thought about creativity was wrong? Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, senior research scientist at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and author of The Creativity Choice, challenges our assumptions about what it means to be creative.Forget the notion that creativity belongs only to artists, designers, and “creative types.” The biggest misconception limiting our potential is believing creativity equals art. Engineers solving problems, parents inventing dinner solutions, and you navigating your day—all require creative thinking. Yet many dismiss their abilities because of a narrow definition of creativity.Dr. Ivcevic Pringle reveals how cr...
2025-10-1348 min
For the Love of Creatives#043: When You Believe in Yourself, Everything Becomes Possible With Laetitia Bouffard-RoupeFrom the Paris Opera Ballet School to circus stages and fine art photography, Laetitia Bouffard-Roupe’s path defies convention. Born in France but belonging “to the world,” she shows how saying yes to the unknown can transform your life.At just nine, Laetitia left home to train at the Paris Opera, where strict discipline built resilience but left lasting wounds around body image. After experiencing the darker side of ballet, she took a leap—accepting an acrobatic role with zero experience. Two years later, she was winning international circus competitions as both a ground and aerial acrobat.Now...
2025-10-0650 min
MONSTER ATTACK!Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman | Episode 483 Madeline Brumby, Shane Morton, and Mark Maddox join Jim for a look at the film that will be shown during the final Silver Scream Spook Show of 2025 - "Frankenstein Meets The Wolman," starring Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., Patrick Knowles, Lionel Atwill, Ilona Massey, Maria Ouspenskaya, Dennis Hoey, Dwight Frye, and Jeff Corey. This sequel to Universal's "The Wolfman," scored big with audiences in 1944 and helped save the studio rom bankruptcy. Find out more on MONSTER ATTACK!, The Podcast Dedicated To Old Monster Movies.
2025-09-291h 02
For the Love of Creatives#042: Douglas Lewis Struts Past the Haters: When Fashion Becomes ArmorFrom the confines of his grandmother's office—the very space where his creativity was first nurtured—Douglas Lewis takes us on a transformative journey from bullied youth to fashion revolutionary. Douglas's story begins with childhood memories of assembling photo albums alongside his grandmother, absorbing fashion history that would later become his creative foundation.When thrust from the strict uniformity of private Christian school into public education, Douglas faced merciless bullying for not conforming to early 2000s Black male fashion norms. Rather than shrinking, he made a pivotal choice: "I'm going to tap into this difference." This decision mark...
2025-09-2952 min
For the Love of Creatives#041: Your Creativity Thrives When You Follow What Makes You Happy With David PowellCreativity rarely follows a straight line, and David Powell’s story proves it. From self-taught web designer to craft cocktail bartender to digital project manager overseeing 20+ bars, his journey is a testament to following curiosity even when it leads to surprising places.David opens up about the fear of sharing work publicly, recalling how his first poetry reading left him physically ill with anxiety. “The hard part for me is never the creating, it’s having the guts to put it in front of people,” he admits—a feeling many creatives know well.We explore originalit...
2025-09-2252 min
For the Love of Creatives#040: Elisha Oliver is Breaking Free From Generational Patterns: How Art Creates PossibilityElisha Oliver's path from classroom teacher to Executive Director of Texas Folklife offers a masterclass in following creative curiosity. When standardized testing drained her passion for education after nearly twenty years, Elisha found herself at a crossroads that many creatives face: continue the safe, practical path or risk exploring long-buried interests?What followed was a "happy accident" – discovering anthropology as the perfect discipline to embrace her love of cultures, communities, and artistic expression. Now leading Texas Folklife, Elisha works to make folk arts accessible across the state while confronting the same questions that haunted her mother and gr...
2025-09-1554 min
For the Love of Creatives#039: Birds, Brushes, and Breaking the Starving Artist Myth With Andrea HolmesAndrea Holmes didn’t always believe art could pay the bills. After stints in catering, restaurants, and even TV, she embraced her true calling as a muralist. Now known as “the Bird Lady,” she supports herself and her daughter through her art, traveling internationally to paint vibrant murals that spark joy in communities worldwide.What sets Andrea apart is her openness about the business of art. She shares that corporations like Starbucks invest $20,000+ in her murals, breaking the “starving artist” myth. Once convinced $100,000 a year as an artist was impossible, she hit that goal—and now sets her sights o...
2025-09-0852 min
For the Love of Creatives#038: Bold Moves, Big Dreams With Imani BlackBoldness opens doors that talent alone cannot. This truth radiates through Imani Black's journey from a tiny North Carolina high school to becoming a multi-faceted creative force in Dallas.With refreshing candor, Imani shares how she transformed from the teenager who boldly announced to her entire school that she was "moving to Dallas to be somebody" into exactly that person – an award-winning photographer, documentary filmmaker, and art curator whose work has been featured on billboards in Deep Ellum. Her path wasn't linear or obstacle-free. From academic struggles that had her photoshopping grades to avoid being sent home, to...
2025-09-0153 min
For the Love of Creatives#037: Curtis Tran's Unique Approach to Creativity That Keeps Him Craving MoreWhat happens when you grow up as "the outcast among outcasts"? Photographer Curtis Tran joins us to share how being one of only three Asian students in his East Texas high school shaped his approach to creativity, community, and belonging.Curtis takes us on a journey through his unique upbringing as a Vietnamese American in Nacogdoches, Texas, where his father—who narrowly escaped execution after the Vietnam War—brought their family to build a new life. This experience of rarely seeing himself reflected in his surroundings developed Curtis's remarkable ability to find authentic connections across demographic boundaries....
2025-08-2552 min
For the Love of Creatives#036: Beyond the Menu: Mico Rodriguez Lives a Life Served with IntentionWhat does it take to build a restaurant empire with heart? Mico Rodriguez reveals the answer through his extraordinary journey from washing dishes at age five to creating Dallas's beloved Mi Cocina restaurants.Growing up in his parents' restaurant, young Mico absorbed invaluable lessons about consistency, customer connection, and the intimate relationship between nourishment and care. His mother's dictatorial but effective management style became both model and counterpoint for his own approach to restaurant leadership. "Even today, I hear my mother's voice inside my head," he shares, acknowledging how deeply her influence permeates his work....
2025-08-181h 01
For the Love of Creatives#035: Finding Your Audience: The Hidden Path Between Creation and Connection With Kevin WhitehurstWhat happens when a high-powered tech executive trades boardroom meetings for a canvas and paintbrushes? Kevin Whitehurst's journey from 33 years in healthcare technology to becoming "The Art Health Nut" reveals powerful lessons for creatives forging their own path to fulfillment.Kevin's story demolishes the myth that artistic success requires traditional routes. Instead of chasing gallery representation, he transformed his home into an exhibition space, personally inviting curated guests to experience his emotionally-charged, symbolic oil paintings. The result? Six paintings sold in one evening—without the 50% gallery commission. His approach blends hospitality (he cooks from scratch) with intimate co...
2025-08-111h 00
For the Love of Creatives#034: Carla Biasi Creatively Transforms Lives Through Personal StyleWhat if your clothing choices were a gateway to personal transformation? In this conversation with stylist Carla Biasi, "The Closet Queen," we uncover how authentic style isn’t about trends… it’s about unlocking your value and beauty.Carla shares her journey from teen fashion lover to financial advisor before launching her styling business at 53, inspiring anyone who feels it might be “too late” to pursue a creative calling. As she says, “I couldn’t have done this 20 years ago because I wouldn’t have had that financial education and experience to set myself up.” Every step prepared her for t...
2025-08-0453 min
For the Love of Creatives#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#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#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#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#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#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#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#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#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