500 Words by Lee Schneider

This week's' conversation is with Adrian Fisher.  This is a man who believes in the power of the rough pencil sketch. He believes in having control, but not.  My art form is parallel rows of things. -- Adrian Fisher He is a maze designer. I can't seem to get enough of interviews with people who design and construct mazes, so you'll indulge me? Thanks. I think there is a parallel between creating m...

This week's phone call is with David Tolzmann.  David is the founder of The Labyrinth Company , which designs and builds walkable labyrinths in all media. He’s designed and crafted labyrinths in churches, medical centers, hospices, friaries, retreat centers, and schools, and for spiritual counselors, businesses, and individual homeowners all over the world. He made his first labyrinth nearly 25 ye...

This week’s interview is with Christina Dunbar, who has said, “Our culture is starving for story, for vulnerability, for truth telling, for personal story. Story creates meaning and we have a lack of meaning right now in the world.” Christina Dunbar is a storyteller, director, and producer of women’s stories for stage and film. She is star of the one-woman show, Dirty Me Divine. Christina is the f...

Sound Designer Jeremy J. Lee This week's call is with Jeremy J. Lee, a sound designer. He's worked in theater productions and we talk about his adventures in podcasting. He's really proud of the sound design work he did for a podcast called Video Palace that was written and produced by the folks behind Blair Witch Project. Like that movie, Video Palace uses the concept of "found footage," media ma...

This week's interview is with Bobbi Lane, who has said memorably, "If you don’t have a concept then you don’t have a picture." What she means is that all the photographic technique in the world isn’t going to do you any good if you don’t have an idea for your image.  Bobbi is an award-winning commercial photographer specializing in creative portraits on location and in the studio. Her corporate an...

This week's call is with Daniel J. Coplan. He wears many hats as producer, director, writer, editor, and actor in his films. He's pretty much built his own genre which might be described as enlightenment noir. He works in the thriller mode and adds Buddhist character revelations and plot points. One of the things I learned over the years is the only way I was ever going to break out was if I reall...

This is Episode 03 of On a Call With, a mini-podcast about creativity. Subscribers will have access to the complete archive online . If you’re curious about subscribing to this email, here’s how . On a Call With Animation Writer Matthew Malach I’ve known Matthew Malach since we worked together in New York on an animation series called ThunderCats. We went on to write scripts together, many of them...

This is Episode 02 of On a Call With, a mini-podcast about creativity available exclusively for subscribers to this email. But wait — because I’m feeling good today I’m making this episode available to everyone which, by the power vested in me, I can do from time to time. Subscribers will have access to the archive online . If you’re curious about subscribing, here’s how . On a Call With Mixed Med...

This is Episode 01 of On a Call With, a mini-podcast about creativity available exclusively for subscribers of this email. As I post more episodes you’ll always have access to the archive online . On a Call With Composer Joel Goodman Joel has scored more than a hundred films and TV productions that have received five Oscar nominations, 20 Emmy Awards, and 30 Emmy nominations. You’ll be hearing his...