Creative Courage

I'm bringing back my Creative Courage Chats Podcast. If you would like to join me to discuss Creativity and the Creative Process, please send me an email at araffi@mac.com Put "Podcast" in the subject line and tell me a bit about yourself and what you would like to share about the topic of creativity. Also please add a short bio or any links that may be relevant.

Encouraging our young people to be bold in their beliefs and passions, and to keep their focus on the future, is paramount. They are our most valuable resource, and we all benefit from nurturing their confidence and aspirations. One program I really admire, organized by the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, is the ICAN Be program. They bring local professionals to high schools to provide career advic...

I tell a story of a very rewarding chance meeting I had on a trip to Ireland.

My idea is that we all possess more creative capacity than we realize.

Why I believe Marketing is simply the implimentation of an elaborite handshake.

A poem I love that trys to define the undefinable.

I will be sharing some of my creative works here as well. This is a poem based on a video I saw that moved me deeply.

Creative Courage is my journey to demystify the idea of the individual and group creative process and discuss creativity as a necessary problem-solving skill. I believe that people need to realize that the creative process is not mutually exclusive and is readily available to anyone willing to use it. Here I’m posting video interviews with various people who use their creativity in their work and...

Supporting the arts, especially in schools is so much more important than people realize. It's more than entertainment. It nurtures tools within us that diminish the doubts we all have about who we are and what we are capable of, and it encourages us to explore and discover what we can become. Creative courage is the foundation of progress and problem-solving, not to mention a great motivator...

This Creative Courage Chat is with amazing Erica Linz. She is the star of "Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away", acrobatic choreographer, globetrotting trouble maker. Special ops force against childhood cancer. Erica is also known for her work in Cirque du Soleil: KÀ. We chat about her career and performance art. The importance of art, self-expression, and giving back. You can follow Erica on Instagram...

This chat is with Kevin Fiddler. He is a writer, teacher, film critic, sports journalist, and host of @PinwheelsIvyPod. We chat about creativity and his process. You can learn more about Kevin at @KFidds on Twitter/Insta and his podcast is https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pinwheels-and-ivy-podcast/id1385696768

Had a great chat with Dan McElhattan. He is a nationally recognized designer from Las Vegas, one of the key founders of the local chapter of American Institute for Graphic Arts – Las Vegas Chapter (AIGA); Dan’s award-winning work can be seen throughout the Las Vegas valley ThreeSquare, MountainView Hospital, Northside Nathans, Bella Vita Restaurant and RocknRollWine.com to name a few. He offers so...

In addition to being a good friend of mine, Aviva has been repeatedly named a “Legal Elite” by Nevada Business Magazine. She was included in The Distinguished Women in Nevada book, and designated by Martindale-Hubble as a Member of the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. Aviva Gordon has been repeatedly named as a Super Lawyer, recognizing her as a Top Rated Las Vegas Business Litigation Attorney...

Mikel worked as the main photographer and studio manager at Photography by Van in Las Vegas for 10 years. From there, Mikel opened his own studio, Mikel's Photography & Design, in 2004. Specializing in family, high school senior and executive portraits, in the studio or on location, Mikel is considered, by many, to be the BEST portrait photographer in the valley. Learn more and see his work at htt...

This was a fun interview. My creative journey officially began professionally as a cartoonist. During that time I crossed paths online with Liza Donnelly and Íve admired her work ever since. We had a great chat today about her work and process. She is a writer and award-winning cartoonist with The New Yorker Magazine, where she has been drawing cartoons and writing about culture and politics for f...

Here I explain my intention with this project. I discuss the journey I've been taking for many years to discover and encourage my own creativity and the creativity of others. Learn more at my website www.alexraffi.com

RaShelle helps solo-creatives and small studios help find their voice and lays a solid foundation for their business that is unique and personalized. Working together with these creatives over the course of 3-5 months [and ongoing afterward when needed] she guides them into building a stronger brand for themselves, having a healthier more sustainable business, working with quality clients, and mak...

Dwayne is the Principal at NOVUS Architecture in Las Vegas. He and I chat about creativity, architecture, and business. Take a listen and remember to subscribe. You can learn more about Dwayne at https://www.novusarchitecture.com/

Today I'm chatting with two artists I’ve been working with for a while. They are the talented and hard-working team in my Art Department at www.weareimagine.com. Art Director Cynthia Hartness uses a near-decade in the design field to benefit the firm’s local and national clients. Cynthia’s industry experience is vast and ranges from digital imaging and design layout to illustration and coding/web...

Today I chat with Marcie Smedley, who serves as the Executive Director of the Henderson Libraries, a four-branch system serving Henderson residents and others in the Southern Nevada area. She has worked in a variety of positions with the library district since 2003, previously acting as Paseo Verde Library Manager, Gibson Library Assistant Manager, and Youth Services Department Head. Marcie is pas...

Sometimes you can work on something you did with one intention and look at it again after a time and it has an entirely new meaning. That happened to me tonight while rewriting and editing my book. This is my musing about it.

April is the executive director of the Nevada Chapter of ALS. ALS was first found in 1869 by French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot, but it wasn’t until 1939 that Lou Gehrig brought national and international attention to the disease. Ending the career of one of the most beloved baseball players of all time, the disease is still most closely associated with his name. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis...

My family went on a quick trip to Oregon and we came across this little shop called “Weird Sisters Freak Boutique” that was hidden away, literally underground. There I had a chance to speak to the owner. Sondra Carr and her son. I enjoyed it so much I figured I’d ask them for an interview. So here it is. Learn more about their show at www.wierdsistersfreakboutique.com.

I had a great chat about film production and creativity with May May Luong. She is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a major in Film and a minor in Theater. She also holds an M.F.A. in Writing for Dramatic Media from UNLV.  May May has produced six feature-length films including The Track, directed by Brett Levner, starring Missy Yager (...

My chat today is with an old friend of mine Butch Heiss. Butch is a Principal for the Clark County School District. We talk about education and the importance of support and encouragement in school. Learn more about Butch here: www.clydecox.com or at https://www.ccsd.net #creativity #CreativityFound #creativityforlife #creativityeveryday #creativitykillsoldness #creativityinmybreakfast #creativity...