Vicarious

Alex and Karen have a debrief of the season and all the great insight they’ve gleaned from their guests this season. They also tease what’s to come as they start to plan season 4. If you like what you’re hearing, please consider leaving as a rating and review wherever you’ve been listening. It would really help us out! Wishing you all well as you tackle your own creative projects. Until next time!...

For their last interview of the season, Alex and Karen are joined by writer Morag Wehrle to talk all about the non-fiction memoir she is currently working on that centres around postpartum depression - connecting her own experience with that of a woman from the late 19th century who was institutionalized for the same condition. They discuss how the project came to be and the serendipitous nature o...

Alex and Karen chat with musicians Em Postl and Thomas Hoeller about Streams Poetry Project, their music collaboration that transforms poetry through vocals and guitar. They give an in-depth look into the natural evolution of this project over the last 8 years, from the organic formation of the project that began with some improvisation over a book of poetry by Rumi, to their current focus of work...

Alex and Karen talk to musician and composer Taras Luka about his journey with music, that started in the Ukraine and took him to many other parts of the world before his arrival to Canada 1.5 years ago. They chat about his globetrotting experiences and dive into the music philosophies he holds that have allowed him to pursue so many different types of music projects with a vast array of people. T...

Alex and Karen talk with Marysia Tyski, the founder of Rish Jewelry, and her apprentice (and fiancé!) Michael Nunweiler to learn all about their business ventures and the art of jewelry making. Alex and Karen get a rundown of the different jewelry-making processes and dive even further into Marysia and Michael’s own processes for creating their beautiful works, from their sources of inspiration to...

Alex and Karen welcome back Chris Johnson, their first returning interviewee (S1, E5), and his writing partner Carson Rekert to talk about their current collaboration on a horror movie screenplay, as well as their many experiences together as friends, coworkers, and roommates. Chris and Carson get into their collaboration style; their trust in one another; and how they’ve been able to stay investe...

Alex and Karen are joined this week by musician, writer, teacher and certified fashionista (at least in Karen’s mind) Francis Henson! He brings with him a lot of great topics for them to dive into, like the idea of artistic identity as intent rather than content; our connection to music and art in adolescence; and music as a study of humanity. They explore Francis’ globetrotting childhood that beg...

Alex and Karen sit down with musicians Sam Dowdell (Emilyn) and Keely Rammage-Scott to talk about their work with The Project Vancity , a music initiative that works toward community building by bringing a variety of musicians in the Vancouver music scene together to create video series, shows, and other creative works. Sam and Keely share how they individually got involved with the project and ho...

Alex and Karen talk to photographer, illustrator, and chef Marshall To about his many artistic mediums and how they all intersect. They talk about his creative process and dive into his life-long journey to discover what he’s passionate about. They also discuss his upbringing as a first-generation Chinese-Canadian, and how his family’s culture and Taoist religion shaped him and his art. Marshall a...

Season 3 is here and the word is: Collaboration! This season will be focusing on the topic of creative collaboration by interviewing not just solo creatives but also creative partners. So, what better creative partners to kick things off with than Alex and Karen themselves? They talk all about their experiences working with each other, from their past music collabs to their current podcast endeavo...

Happy New Year everyone! Alex and Karen are back for a bonus episode to ring in 2024, and what better topic to dive into than New Year's Resolutions? They discuss their feelings about the term (spoiler alert: it's mostly negative) and share how they are reframing the idea so that it can better serve them as they venture into the year ahead. They give some tips for those who also struggle with the...

It’s the finale! Alex and Karen are joined by friend of the pod Jamie Lee to discuss the season as both creators and listeners. They answer some of the questions they’ve been left with as the season wraps up, like “did we solve the creativity vs creating debate?”, and reflect on their own creative journeys from the beginning of the season to the end. They also tease what’s to come in season three,...

For their last interview of the season, Alex and Karen talk to musician and composer Thad Bailey-Mai, and the topics are plentiful! They learn about Thad’s introduction to music from both his parents, and what it was like learning music at a young age with a dad who is a professional jazz trumpeter. They get into his unique style of composing orchestral pieces;  his other creative outlet...

Alex and Karen are joined by musician Madelyn Read to talk about the path she is carving for herself as an alt-country artist in the Vancouver music scene. They discuss everything to do with her new album Concrete Country, including the grant-writing process that provided her with a “contractual obligation” to complete the project, as well as the different songwriting processes she implemented for...

Alex and Karen talk to musician, sewist, arts worker, and all around cool person Kaya Kurz about her life as a multi-faceted artist. Kaya shares her self-described “flukey” journey from music school to her current job working for an arts non-profit, and how her idea to take up sewing as a covid hobby turned into a passion project that has become one of her main forms of artistic expression as well...

Alex and Karen chat with musician Amanda Sum all about the experience of making her debut album New Age Attitudes, from it’s initial conception all the way to creating a music video that was eventually nominated for a Juno and won the SXSW Music Video Jury Award. They talk about the different messages she tries to convey in her work; the importance of representation; and why you should always be a...

Alex and Karen sit down with Daniel Byrne to chat about his life as a creative nomad. They cover a lot of Dan’s life: growing up in Indonesia, his experience in film school, breaking into the music scene and all the jobs he’s had along the way that led him to start Subsocials, a studio that creates sound effects libraries, sample packs, and much more. The three of them explore a lot of interesting...

Alex and Karen chat with tattoo artist Olivia Harrison (known by her Instagram followers as @fearbear ) all about her work and the different skills that go into the job of tattooing, such as finding the creativity within others’ ideas and the emotional labour of working with strangers so intimately. They delve into the journey that led her to start tattooing and talk about the courage and self-con...

Alex and Karen reunite with an old friend from university, Dawn Boudreau, to discuss her life as a musician and music teacher. Dawn gets candid about her experience living an “inverted life”, and what it took to go back to school at age 40 after raising a family. They get into ageism in music; how to keep evolving one’s creativity; and have a lovely chat all about Dawn’s garden and her line of hom...

Alex and Karen talk to Cydney Uffindell-Phillips all about her work as a cheoreographer and movement coach, getting into all the different types of jobs she has had and how her work has evolved, as well as what moving to Canada from the UK has meant for her career. They explore the different roles that movement and body language play in character and creativity development; the technical and psych...

We’re back baby! It’s the season 2 premiere, and Alex and Karen are joined by comedy musician Chris Sallis-Lyon to talk all about his debut EP “The Mall-tiverse” (released under the name “Chriaus”) and how his love for comedy has shaped his musicianship. They also talk about his work as a session drummer and explore the role that ego plays in one’s creativity, for better or worse. … Follow Chris:...

It’s a bonus episode! Alex and Karen sit down for a lighthearted chat about mental health struggles and the creative slump that crops up for them during their experiences with the summertime blues. Fun! They also talk about some of the things that are bringing them joy during this tricky time and play a rousing round of Quick-Fire Questions: Guilty Pleasure Edition.  … For a sneak peak of the...

It’s the last episode of season 1! To celebrate, Alex and Karen are joined by their podcast producer Will Chernoff to answer some burning questions from their illustrious guests and the three of them reflect on their experience making the season. Questions answered: Jamie Lee : What was the intention behind creating this pod and choosing guests? Do you feel like you earned what you were hoping for...

For the last interview of the season, Alex and Karen chat with musician and drag performer Dust Cwaine - and the topics are plentiful! They explore Dust’s creative evolution, from their start as a musical theatre kid and karaoke enthusiast to their discovery of drag performance and their eventual transition into music. They get into the process of recording their new EP 17 as well as their first f...

Alex and Karen talk to contemporary dancer and art show curator Alana Yee about their journey to become a professional dancer, where that journey has taken them, and how trusting their intuition has been a guiding force in their life. They explore Alana’s thoughts on collaboration through different artistic mediums, creating opportunities for oneself and others (such as their dance art group Mega...