Creative Engagement Podcast

Engage with us via Text Message! My GUEST is Dr. Debra Clary Curiosity Expert and author of The Curiosity Curve: A Leader’s Guide to Growth and Transformation Through Bold Questions (Fast Company Press, 2025) Dr. Clary has created a Curiosity Assessment. I am fascinated that researchers are introducing methods of measuring dimensions of our abilities such as Curiosity.  Assessments show how unique...

Engage with us via Text Message! My guest Jon Jennings is extremely accomplished, aware, and thoughtful — and he tests the limits of this Encouragement Session format. He arrives with a question: Is it possible to be encouraged not for a specific project or focused area, but simply to be lifted up and motivated toward the best life possible, period? Jon brings a full complement of energy, emotion,...

Engage with us via Text Message! My guest is Kurt Grace Community Builder & Men’s Group leader. I attended a mens event called the Grail in Austin, Texas that Kurt was organizing. I was a part of the support team and through this process got to know Kurt. A few years before I initially met Kurt at this same event when we were both participants. Kurt has an almost magical way of connecting with...

Engage with us via Text Message! This is a very special interview and marks the return of my guest Chris Grady. This is unique because Chris agreed to come on the podcast and discuss his recent visit to Ukraine. We discuss how his visit came about and what it meant for him to face the risk of entering a foreign city engaged in an active war. Chris describes what he set out to accomplish and his im...

Engage with us via Text Message! This is my guest Louis Flint Ceci’s 2nd interview as he is promoting his newest book the Cross Quarter Mysteries. This book as the title indicates contains multiple mysteries and our wide ranging discussion moves from the writing of the novel itself to concepts within the book. We talk about how time and place become characters themselves. We discuss how faith and...

Engage with us via Text Message! I’m excited to introduce Sean Martin from The Quarantined — a musician, combat veteran, and executive producer! Sean is sharing his story with us as he promotes his album, Aversion to Normalcy. He’s filled with inspiring stories about songwriting and how he’s used his own experiences to overcome challenges, learn about himself, and find healing through various form...

Engage with us via Text Message! I’m thrilled to have POET TIM XONNELLY join us! Tim’s just released a wonderful book of poetry called THE INVASION OF PANTOMIME. I’d say Tim is deeply connected to poetry. The conversation really took off when Tim talked about his connection to dreams and dreaming. Reading his book, it’s clear how much he values his dreams and how open he is to learning from them....

Engage with us via Text Message! I’m really happy that my guest, Ezra Vancil discovered the podcast and got in touch. Ezra’s latest double album, along with a companion book, is called Morning and Midnight. Ezra’s story is a tough one, and he’s incredibly honest and open about dealing with substance abuse. He talks about how his connection to his creativity and sharing his struggles and successes...

Engage with us via Text Message! From the very first moment, Christine Blosdale captured my attention! As I’ve been hosting this podcast for five years, I’ve received many requests from potential guests to be interviewed. I share this because I’m proud that I’ve created a program that people find valuable. I’ve also been fortunate and grateful that I haven’t found myself at odds with more than a c...

Engage with us via Text Message! Walking my guest, Zacha Belok, through this Encouragement Session, I felt a wave of hope wash over me. Zacha is a leadership coach, facilitator, and somatic practitioner whom I met at a Billy retreat. He was leading a multi-day workshop, and I could tell he had a deep understanding and a wealth of experience. What truly fills me with hope is Zacha’s honesty. It’s s...

Engage with us via Text Message! This interview is truly special for me! My guest is Kath Burlinson. Kath is a theatre maker and director.  She founded the Authentic Artist Collective and regularly offers Authentic Artist workshops. www.authenticartist.co.uk     2 min workshop VIDEO https://youtu.be/lkXXjdLICNA f you enjoyed this podcast please give us a rating and write a review where you listen...

Engage with us via Text Message! I found myself at a retreat in Devon, in the UK seated at a long table next to a wonderful singer songwriter William Jaquet, I knew I should invite him to be on this program right away. William is a very warm and friendly presence and on this rainy storm night we found a relatively quiet space to capture this conversation. I had heard William play in the evening th...

Engage with us via Text Message! My guest Gavin Goska is a wonderful explorer of genres and his interview is a bookend interview with Ed Douglas as they together make up Midnight Syndicate. I’m really captivated by the kindness and thoughtfulness of Gavin Goska. It is so fascinating to hear how Gavin approaches creating mysterious and frightening scores for imagined movies! As you might guess, Gav...

Engage with us via Text Message! I have known my guest Ruven Hannah for many years through the Billys organization in Northern California. I have seen Ruven’s performance art and recently witnessed Ruven focusing on pure storytelling. I did not know what  international experiences had played a part in Ruven’s creativity until he explained the circumstances of moving from Israel to England  and the...

Engage with us via Text Message! My guest Diane Samuels has a history as a playwright, as an educator and as an author. Diane’s openness and honesty is notable as she tackles some very personal and taboo topics. Diane has a very clear sense of what therapy is and what creativity and artistry is for her and she has engaged deeply with both. I was fascinated to hear about Diane’s work with Family Co...

Engage with us via Text Message! My Guest Billy Maxwell Taylor is a Dance Theater Maker and Ambient Dance Artist. I met him in the Forest of Dean through my connection to Actor & Filmmaker Henry McGrath as I was getting to know the Eden’s Cave Theater & Film Company. Billy is both a calm and joyful presence in my experience. It was delightful to get to know Billy’s influences and I would s...

Engage with us via Text Message! I met my guest Jude Williams as a participant on a Discipline of Freedom workshop on the Scottish Island of Lismore many years ago. In my opinion Jude has a gloriously expressive beautiful singing voice. My main memory of that shared experience was hearing Jude sing the Sondheim song Being Alive over and over again exploring different prompts and approaches, someti...

Engage with us via Text Message! I have to say I was so impressed when my guest Nemanja Kovač Barbarossa reached out to me about being interviewed to talk about his new book Visions from the Unconscious. Nemanja is the founder of the emerging artistic movement  Arawnonciousness (A-RAW). Nemanja describes his experience of discovering how to investigate his unconscious through line drawing and then...

Engage with us via Text Message! It feels profound to meet someone like my guest Andy Squiff. Andy describes himself as a creative and I am so impressed how Andy’s stories put engagement and passion and curiosity front and center. Andy’s enthusiasm and energy were apparent when I met him on a recent trip to the UK and the Forest of Dean. Andy is also very honest about looking back and understandin...

Engage with us via Text Message! ABOUT MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE For almost three decades, composers Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka have been known as Midnight Syndicate, creating symphonic soundtracks to imaginary films that facilitate a transcendental and adventurous escape into the secret dimensions of the mind’s eye. To many of their fans, they are horror music pioneers with their genre-defying sign...

Engage with us via Text Message! My guest Eleanor Buchan is an artist and storyteller. I have known Ellie through the years and have participated in some amazing artist workshops side by side with her. Having said that there are many aspects of Ellie’s story that I was not aware of, and the last time I was in her presence prior to this interview was before her marriage and before the birth of her...

Engage with us via Text Message! My guest is Patrick Boylan, Cofounder of MuseFlow and multi-instrumentalist. MuseFlow is a computer program that uses AI to teach piano. Patrick walks us through creating MuseFlow to recreate how he learned to play piano. I am fascinated as an adult learner with how we overcome frustration and unpack the constructs that keep us from learning and growing. Patrick ha...

Engage with us via Text Message! My guest for this episode is Holly Stoppit. Yes that’s her name! Holly is a facilitator, educator, dramatherapist, IFS therapist, clinical supervisor, creative consultant, clown, fool, idiot. With all those titles you can be sure that Holly is delightful. Holly brings so much play and compassion and empathy to the conversation of what creativity does to and for our...

Engage with us via Text Message! I’m so pleased to include my guest and friend, artist Iddo Oberski. I have known my guest Iddo Oberski for many years through the lens of his creative expression in our shared experiences at an artist retreat called the Discipline of Freedom. As it turns out many of Iddo’s artistic explorations have become a part of his creation called BALANCING IN FREEDOM. I have...

Engage with us via Text Message! My guest Mary Telfer is an Artist and  founder of The Creative Collective, a $9/month online membership where creative people get weekly art challenges, monthly creative Zoom calls, and a supportive space to make and post art. I found Mary to be a delightful and passionate example of someone who has truly and deeply engaged with her own creativity.  It shows in her...