The Creative Process · Arts, Culture & Society: Books, Film, Music, TV, Art, Writing, Creativity, Education, Environment, Theatre, Dance, LGBTQ, Climate Change, Social Justice, Spirituality, Feminism, Tech, Sustainability

After leaving his home in Hawaii to journey through Asia in 1974, Paton Miller arrived on the East End of Long Island with a collection of travel inspired artworks that won him an art scholarship from Southampton College. Graduating with honors, Paton launched his career in over twenty solo and numerous group exhibitions in New York City and throughout the United States. Today, his works are exhibited internationally, in cities such as Florence and Shanghai. Paton’s paintings are now among the most widely collected works between the East End of Long Island and New York City.· www.patonmiller.com · www.creativeprocess.info

“The harp or the instrument that I play is a traditional instrument from Columbia (I’m from Bogota, Columbia). We have traditional music there called Janetta music. It’s the music from the plains of Colombia and Venezuala. It’s like the cowboy music… I met the harp when I was seven years old. That’s the first time I saw this instrument. I was like–Wow! I knew I was born to play the harp that day!”Colombian-born harp virtuoso Edmar Castaneda has forged his own path in music by bringing the harp into an unexpected genre–jazz. Castaneda’s style mixes jazz with the South American folk style harobo, and other Latin American styles. He has four acclaimed albums as a leader and several others in collaboration with artists like trombonist Marshall Gilkes and pianist Hiromi. He has performed with Sting, Wynton Marsalis, Paco De Lucia and many other acclaimed musicians.· www.edmarcastaneda.com · www.creativeprocess.info

Colombian-born harp virtuoso Edmar Castaneda has forged his own path in music by bringing the harp into an unexpected genre–jazz. Castaneda’s style mixes jazz with the South American folk style harobo, and other Latin American styles. He has four acclaimed albums as a leader and several others in collaboration with artists like trombonist Marshall Gilkes and pianist Hiromi. He has performed with Sting, Wynton Marsalis, Paco De Lucia and many other acclaimed musicians.· www.edmarcastaneda.com · www.creativeprocess.info

“When I first came to Britain in 1978, I was one of the first people to leave China and come to the West. I wrote about the experience in Wild Swans. And for many years I had nightmares of the horrible things I saw and experienced. Writing Wild Swans made all these nightmares disappear. It was a wonderful process. The writing process turned trauma in memory. I am now able to talk to you about my book, my life, to read it without too much pain. I think this is a luxury people in China still don’t have.”Jung Chang is the author of the best-selling books Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (1991), which the Asian Wall Street Journal called the most read book about China; Mao: The Unknown Story (2005, with Jon Halliday), which was described by Time magazine as “an atom bomb of a book”; and Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China (2013), a New York Times “notable book”. Her latest book, Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister: Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth-Century China (2019), is regarded as “another triumph” (Evening Standard London).Her books have been translated into more than 40 languages and sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. She has won many awards, including The NCR Book Award (UK, 1992, the forerunner of the Samuel Johnson Prize), UK Writers’ Guild Best Non-Fiction (1992), Fawcett Society Book Award (UK, 1992), Book of the Year (UK, 1993).She has received a number of honorary doctorates from universities in the UK and USA (Buckingham, York, Warwick, Dundee, the Open University, and Bowdoin College, USA). She is an Honorary Fellow of SOAS University of London.Jung Chang was born in Sichuan Province, China, in 1952. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) she worked as a peasant, a “barefoot” doctor, a steelworker, and an electrician before becoming an English-language student at Sichuan University. She left China for Britain in 1978 and obtained a PhD in Linguistics in 1982 at the University of York – the first person from Communist China to receive a doctorate from a British university.· www.jungchang.net· www.creativeprocess.info

Jung Chang is the author of the best-selling books Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (1991), which the Asian Wall Street Journal called the most read book about China; Mao: The Unknown Story (2005, with Jon Halliday), which was described by Time magazine as “an atom bomb of a book”; and Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China (2013), a New York Times “notable book”. Her latest book, Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister: Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth-Century China (2019), is regarded as “another triumph” (Evening Standard London).Her books have been translated into more than 40 languages and sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. She has won many awards, including The NCR Book Award (UK, 1992, the forerunner of the Samuel Johnson Prize), UK Writers’ Guild Best Non-Fiction (1992), Fawcett Society Book Award (UK, 1992), Book of the Year (UK, 1993).She has received a number of honorary doctorates from universities in the UK and USA (Buckingham, York, Warwick, Dundee, the Open University, and Bowdoin College, USA). She is an Honorary Fellow of SOAS University of London.Jung Chang was born in Sichuan Province, China, in 1952. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) she worked as a peasant, a “barefoot” doctor, a steelworker, and an electrician before becoming an English-language student at Sichuan University. She left China for Britain in 1978 and obtained a PhD in Linguistics in 1982 at the University of York – the first person from Communist China to receive a doctorate from a British university.· www.jungchang.net· www.creativeprocess.info

"If you are thinking about too much, you're probably not doing it right. Some nights you do it and you're just like, that just felt like it was ten minutes long and I just was on cloud nine. What was I doing? A great, great American actor George C. Scott had a great quote once, he said, "Every actor worth their salt has one good show a week and spends those other seven shows wondering what they did that made them so good that night." And nobody knows. If you could figure that out and if you could bottle that then, of course, everybody could do it."John Benjamin Hickey is a veteran of the stage and screen, with a Tony Award-winning performance as Felix Turner in The Normal Heart and his Emmy-nominated role as Sean Tolkey on The Big C.On stage, he’s had leading roles in Cabaret, The Crucible, The Inheritance - Parts 1 and 2, Six Degrees of Separation, and Love! Valour! Compassion! also starring in the latter’s movie adaptation. His film appearances include The Ice Storm, The Bone Collector, Flags of Our Fathers, Pitch Perfect. On television, he’s had roles in Manhattan, Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, The Good Wife, and Marvel's Jessica Jones, among others. Set to make his Broadway directorial debut this spring in a revival of Neil Simon's Plaza Suite starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, the production was postponed due to COVID-19.· www.imdb.com/name/nm0382632/· www.creativeprocess.info

John Benjamin Hickey is a veteran of the stage and screen, with a Tony Award-winning performance as Felix Turner in The Normal Heart and his Emmy-nominated role as Sean Tolkey on The Big C.On stage, he’s had leading roles in Cabaret, The Crucible, The Inheritance - Parts 1 and 2, Six Degrees of Separation, and Love! Valour! Compassion! also starring in the latter’s movie adaptation. His film appearances include The Ice Storm, The Bone Collector, Flags of Our Fathers, Pitch Perfect. On television, he’s had roles in Manhattan, Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, The Good Wife, and Marvel's Jessica Jones, among others. Set to make his Broadway directorial debut this spring in a revival of Neil Simon's Plaza Suite starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, the production was postponed due to COVID-19.· www.imdb.com/name/nm0382632/· www.creativeprocess.info

“Climate scientists forecast that we will see more pandemics, more sickness in people. We have about 8 million people from air pollution every year around the world. So if we want to save their lives so that they do not become ill, we have to stop air pollution. Climate protection is the best contribution to healthcare for humankind.”Hans-Josef Fell was a member of German Parliament from 1998 to 2013 where he drafted the 2000 Renewable Energy Sources Act. This law has since been replicated over 100 times and can be seen as the legal prototype for the rollout of renewables.  In 2006, with a group of other parliamentarians and scientists, Fell created the Energy Watch Group, wherein as president, he utilizes his vast expertise in energy and climate politics to foster political dialogue and public discourse. Fell has received many accolades for his work including the Lui Che Woo Prize for his lifetime achievement in environmental and climate policy, the order of merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Nuclear-Free Future Award. · www.energywatchgroup.org · hans-josef-fell.de/en/ · www.creativeprocess.info· www.oneplanetpodcast.org

Hans-Josef Fell was a member of German Parliament from 1998 to 2013 where he drafted the 2000 Renewable Energy Sources Act. This law has since been replicated over 100 times and can be seen as the legal prototype for the rollout of renewables.  In 2006, with a group of other parliamentarians and scientists, Fell created the Energy Watch Group, wherein as president, he utilizes his vast expertise in energy and climate politics to foster political dialogue and public discourse. Fell has received many accolades for his work including the Lui Che Woo Prize for his lifetime achievement in environmental and climate policy, the order of merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Nuclear-Free Future Award. · www.energywatchgroup.org · hans-josef-fell.de/en/ · www.creativeprocess.info · www.oneplanetpodcast.org

“Choreography is always, also, a Visual Art."Jonah Bokaer is an international choreographer and media artist known for his groundbreaking cross-disciplinary collaborations. Bokaer's dances and films have been presented at the Guggenheim, MoMA PS1, the New Museum, the Whitney, and many other venues across 34 countries. He has received dozens of awards and grants, including a 2015 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, two New York Dance and Performance "Bessie" Awards, and a Rockefeller New York City Cultural Innovation Award.· http://jonahbokaer.net· www.creativeprocess.info

Jonah Bokaer is an international choreographer and media artist known for his groundbreaking cross-disciplinary collaborations. Bokaer's dances and films have been presented at the Guggenheim, MoMA PS1, the New Museum, the Whitney, and many other venues across 34 countries. He has received dozens of awards and grants, including a 2015 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, two New York Dance and Performance "Bessie" Awards, and a Rockefeller New York City Cultural Innovation Award.· http://jonahbokaer.net· www.creativeprocess.info

Jess Wilber is a graduate of Oberlin, where she double-majored in Environmental Studies & East Asian Studies. She’s been working with Citizens’ Climate Lobby since freshman year, helping to pioneer programs for students in Higher Education. Among the first members of the Campus Leaders Program, empowering students to become climate advocates and organizers, she founded Oberlin’s CCL Chapter, helping create a climate movement on campus. As the first Great Lakes Regional Fellow, she managed students and educators engaged in climate advocacy, coordinating research and projects with education, diversity, and international teams. A Coordinator for Senior Stewards Acting for the Environment, she’s also a musician, poet, certified mediator, and world-ranked equestrian.· www.citizensclimatelobby.org· www.citizensclimatehighered.org· www.oneplanetpodcast.org· www.creativeprocess.info

Jess Wilber is a graduate of Oberlin, where she double-majored in Environmental Studies & East Asian Studies. She’s been working with Citizens’ Climate Lobby since freshman year, helping to pioneer programs for students in Higher Education. Among the first members of the Campus Leaders Program, empowering students to become climate advocates and organizers, she founded Oberlin’s CCL Chapter, helping create a climate movement on campus. As the first Great Lakes Regional Fellow, she managed students and educators engaged in climate advocacy, coordinating research and projects with education, diversity, and international teams. A Coordinator for Senior Stewards Acting for the Environment, she’s also a musician, poet, certified mediator, and world-ranked equestrian.· www.citizensclimatelobby.org· www.citizensclimatehighered.org· www.oneplanetpodcast.org· www.creativeprocess.info

Neil Patrick Harris is a Tony and Emmy award-winning stage and screen performer, famous for his roles as Barney Stinson in the popular CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and as the iconic and beloved Doogie Howser, M.D., and Count Olaf in A Series of Unfortunate Events. He’s hosted the Oscars, Tony, and Emmy Awards, and performed in several Broadway shows, including Rent, Cabaret, Proof, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. His film credits include Starship Troopers , the Harold and Kumar series, and Gone Girl.www.creativeprocess.info

Neil Patrick Harris is a Tony and Emmy award-winning stage and screen performer, famous for his roles as Barney Stinson in the popular CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and as the iconic and beloved Doogie Howser, M.D., and Count Olaf in A Series of Unfortunate Events. He’s hosted the Oscars, Tony, and Emmy Awards, and performed in several Broadway shows, including Rent, Cabaret, Proof, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. His film credits include Starship Troopers , the Harold and Kumar series, and Gone Girl.www.creativeprocess.info

“So the Museum of Arts and Design historically, for me, is part of a New York avantgarde scene. It's just that it was dedicated to artists working in these historically-marginalized materials. And it continues to do that. That mission has never changed.”Elissa Auther is the Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs and William and Mildred Lasdon Chief Curator at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD). Previously, she was Associate Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art at the University of Colorado and a visiting associate professor at Bard Graduate Center. A feminist public intellectual, Auther founded and co-directed for the past ten years the program “Feminism & Co.: Art, Sex, Politics” at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver that focuses on issues of women and gender through the lens of creative practice.· madmuseum.org· www.elissaauther.com· www.creativeprocess.infoImage Courtesy of the Museum of Arts and Design, New York

Elissa Auther is the Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs and William and Mildred Lasdon Chief Curator at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD). Previously, she was Associate Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art at the University of Colorado and a visiting associate professor at Bard Graduate Center. A feminist public intellectual, Auther founded and co-directed for the past ten years the program “Feminism & Co.: Art, Sex, Politics” at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver that focuses on issues of women and gender through the lens of creative practice.· madmuseum.org· www.elissaauther.com· www.creativeprocess.infoImage Courtesy of the Museum of Arts and Design, New York

“I feel that the earth is like a classroom for soul growth and we’re put here to overcome challenges, and we may be working on something like humility or compassion or love of humanity. The challenges might be something like war or cancer. Everybody gets a challenge to work on in their lives, but they also get a great gift to help them through those challenges. You just have to know how to use those gifts.”Dr. Carolyn Waters Broe has spent years researching and writing about the classical composers. She is published in many music journals and wrote her dissertation on the music of Arizona composer Louise Lincoln Kerr. Broe is the Principal Violist of the Scottsdale Philharmonic and the Founding Conductor of the Four Seasons Orchestra in Arizona. Having taught music in colleges and public K-12 schools, she now teaches violin, viola, cello, and piano at her private studio.· www.fourseasonsorchestra.org/conductor.html · www.creativeprocess.info

Dr. Carolyn Waters Broe has spent years researching and writing about the classical composers. She is published in many music journals and wrote her dissertation on the music of Arizona composer Louise Lincoln Kerr. Broe is the Principal Violist of the Scottsdale Philharmonic and the Founding Conductor of the Four Seasons Orchestra in Arizona. Having taught music in colleges and public K-12 schools, she now teaches violin, viola, cello, and piano at her private studio.· www.fourseasonsorchestra.org/conductor.html · www.creativeprocess.info

“Dance is for everyone. That’s the mission. We see people that might not be able to encounter dance in so many ways because it’s not something that their school offers. I had a family that subscribed to the New York City Ballet, most families don’t do that, so for us to be able to offer that level of exposure…and I think traditionally ballet has felt like it can be an elitist art form. Only certain people are invited. You have to have a certain type of foot. You have to have a long neck. You may have to have finances to be able to study ballet. We would like to eliminate that and make sure that it’s available for everybody to sort of dip their toe in and get a sense of it and have an experience of dance.”Artistic Director of Pacific Northwest Ballet and director of PNB’s Ballet School, Peter Boal was raised in Bedford, New York.  He began studying at the School of American Ballet at the age of 9 and became a principal dancer in the New York City Ballet in 1989. Serving the company for 22 years, Mr. Boal was featured in many ballets, including George Balanchine’s Apollo and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as works by Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon, William Forsythe, and many others.· https://www.pnb.org · https://www.pnb.org/aboutpnb/staff/ · www.creativeprocess.info

Artistic Director of Pacific Northwest Ballet and director of PNB’s Ballet School, Peter Boal was raised in Bedford, New York.  He began studying at the School of American Ballet at the age of 9 and became a principal dancer in the New York City Ballet in 1989. Serving the company for 22 years, Mr. Boal was featured in many ballets, including George Balanchine’s Apollo and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as works by Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon, William Forsythe, and many others.· https://www.pnb.org · https://www.pnb.org/aboutpnb/staff/ · www.creativeprocess.info

“This museum, this institution has a long history and actually, the idea of a museum goes back to maybe 100 years ago when Civil War veterans wanted a monument recognizing the service and the sacrifice of African Americans during the war effort. It wasn't until the mid-late 80s when congressman John Lewis with some other colleagues started to bring forth the idea that the Smithsonian needed to have a presence to recognize the significance and contributions of African Americans to the history of this country.”Dr. Dwandalyn Reece is a storyteller, ethnomusicologist, and museum professional. Reece studied American Studies and Music at Scripps College, American Culture and Museum Practice at the University of Michigan, and Musical Performance at New York University. Her research and projects include exhibitions at the Louis Armstrong House and Archives, the Brooklyn Historical Society, the New Jersey State Museum, and the Motown Historical Museum, as well as being the former senior program officer for the National Endowment for the Humanities. Reece is currently the Curator of Music and Performing Arts at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, where she co-curated the Smithsonian Year of Music and “Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration.” Reece also curated one of the museum’s permanent exhibitions, Musical Crossroads, and received the Secretary’s Research Prize to do so in 2017. Reece is a community-driven artist, and she uses her experience and works in the community to inspire the work she collaboratively produces.· nmaahc.si.edu· music.si.edu/dr-dwandalyn-reece· www.creativeprocess.info

Dr. Dwandalyn Reece is a storyteller, ethnomusicologist, and museum professional. Reece studied American Studies and Music at Scripps College, American Culture and Museum Practice at the University of Michigan, and Musical Performance at New York University. Her research and projects include exhibitions at the Louis Armstrong House and Archives, the Brooklyn Historical Society, the New Jersey State Museum, and the Motown Historical Museum, as well as being the former senior program officer for the National Endowment for the Humanities. Reece is currently the Curator of Music and Performing Arts at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, where she co-curated the Smithsonian Year of Music and “Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration.” Reece also curated one of the museum’s permanent exhibitions, Musical Crossroads, and received the Secretary’s Research Prize to do so in 2017. Reece is a community-driven artist, and she uses her experience and works in the community to inspire the work she collaboratively produces.· https://nmaahc.si.edu· https://music.si.edu/dr-dwandalyn-reece· www.creativeprocess.infoPhoto credit: AlanKarchmer

“Songwriters create the meaning in people’s lives. When you’re married, you have a song. When you fall in love, you have a song. At a funeral, they play a song. When people go off to war, they’re singing a war ballad. Songs create the meaningful moments in people’s lives. People bookmark the moment they met and kissed for the first time with a song. Songs are the bookmarks of your life. Your life is not going to have those meaningful moments cemented into your heart and soul without those songs. That’s a critically important job. That’s worth paying for.”Rick Carnes is the President of the Songwriters Guild of America and a songwriter himself, with credits on 40 platinum albums. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Alabama, and Dean Martin. Since 1931 the SGA has fought to legally protect songwriters, the music they create, and their ability to earn a living from it. Rick has served as president of the SGA since 2004. · www.songwritersguild.com· https://rickcarnes.com· www.creativeprocess.infoPhoto: Rick & Janice Carnes

Rick Carnes is the President of the Songwriters Guild of America and a songwriter himself, with credits on 40 platinum albums. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Alabama, and Dean Martin. Since 1931 the SGA has fought to legally protect songwriters, the music they create, and their ability to earn a living from it. Rick has served as president of the SGA since 2004. · www.songwritersguild.com · https://rickcarnes.com · www.creativeprocess.info

“I started writing out of a desire to counter stereotypes of the roles that women traditionally played in crime fiction, in which case they were wicked. They used their bodies to do good boys to do bad things. Or they were virgins who couldn’t tie their shoes couldn’t tie their shoes without adult supervisions. Or they were victims, most often. And so I wanted a detective who was like the women that I knew who could solve their own problems, who didn’t need to be rescued, who could have a sex life that didn’t make her a bad person…”Sara Paretsky is the author of nineteen books, including sixteen V.I. Warshawski novels. She was named 2011 Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and is the winner of many awards, including the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for lifetime achievement from the British Crime Writers' Association and the CWA Gold Dagger for BLACKLIST. · www.saraparetsky.com· www.creativeprocess.info

Sara Paretsky is the author of nineteen books, including sixteen V.I. Warshawski novels. She was named 2011 Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and is the winner of many awards, including the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for lifetime achievement from the British Crime Writers' Association and the CWA Gold Dagger for BLACKLIST. · www.saraparetsky.com· www.creativeprocess.info

"They’re not human traits. They’re all shared traits because, of course, we all love. We all love our families, or not. We all grieve if somebody we love disappears or dies. A family dog, perhaps. A grandfather. We all feel loneliness, we all feel joy. We all really value our freedom. And so I think, if anything, looking into the eyes of the animal, even online, you see a person in there. There’s a someone in whatever the shape or the physical properties of that individual are. And that lesson is that I am you. You are me, only different. We are all the same in all the ways that count…Any living being teaches you– Look into my eyes. And there you are, the reflection of yourself."Ingrid Newkirk is the founder and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)—the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than 6.5 million members and supporters worldwide. She is the author of more than a dozen books that have been translated into several languages, including her latest, Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries About Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion.Newkirk, a former Washingtonian of the Year, has been featured for her work for animals in The New Yorker, Time magazine, People magazine, Forbes, the Financial Times, and numerous other publications. She has appeared on TV shows and podcasts all over the world, including on Real Time With Bill Maher, The Rich Roll Podcast, and Here's the Thing With Alec Baldwin. She is the subject of a BBC special and the HBO documentary I Am an Animal.· www.www.peta.org · www.ingridnewkirk.com· www.oneplanetpodcast.org· www.creativeprocess.info

Ingrid Newkirk is the founder and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)—the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than 6.5 million members and supporters worldwide. She is the author of more than a dozen books that have been translated into several languages, including her latest, Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries About Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion.Newkirk, a former Washingtonian of the Year, has been featured for her work for animals in The New Yorker, Time magazine, People magazine, Forbes, the Financial Times, and numerous other publications. She has appeared on TV shows and podcasts all over the world, including on Real Time With Bill Maher, The Rich Roll Podcast, and Here's the Thing With Alec Baldwin. She is the subject of a BBC special and the HBO documentary I Am an Animal.· www.peta.org· www.ingridnewkirk.com· www.oneplanetpodcast.org· www.creativeprocess.info

Mike Davis has been the CEO of Global Witness since 2020, having previously served as Director of Campaigns, Planning and Evaluation for three years. During this time Mike has overseen the development of a new Global Witness strategy with a strong emphasis on abuses of power driving climate crisis. Mike first joined Global Witness in 2003, holding numerous roles, including exposing corruption in the Myanmar jade business and writing two ground-breaking exposes on corruption in Cambodia, both of which were banned by the Cambodian Government.· www.globalwitness.org· www.oneplanetpodcast.org· www.creativeprocess.info

Mike Davis has been the CEO of Global Witness since 2020, having previously served as Director of Campaigns, Planning and Evaluation for three years. During this time Mike has overseen the development of a new Global Witness strategy with a strong emphasis on abuses of power driving climate crisis. Mike first joined Global Witness in 2003, holding numerous roles, including exposing corruption in the Myanmar jade business and writing two ground-breaking exposes on corruption in Cambodia, both of which were banned by the Cambodian Government.· www.globalwitness.org· www.oneplanetpodcast.org· www.creativeprocess.info

Vlad Sokhin is a Russia-born documentary photographer, videographer, and multimedia producer covering sociocultural, environmental, and human rights issues worldwide. His projects are supported by various UN agencies and international NGOs. Vlad’s work has been featured in over 40 publications, including National Geographic, NPR, Newsweek Japan, BBC, and The Guardian. In 2014, he was named Best Photographer in Russia, and in 2017, he was awarded the Visa d’or Franceinfo: Award for the Best Digital News Story for his “Warm Waters, Kamchatka” series. Vlad is a citizen of the world. He is currently based in the Asia-Pacfic region and continues to work on photography and video projects there, in addition to Africa, Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. www.vladsokhin.com · www.creativeprocess.info

Vlad Sokhin is a Russia-born documentary photographer, videographer, and multimedia producer covering sociocultural, environmental, and human rights issues worldwide. His projects are supported by various UN agencies and international NGOs. Vlad’s work has been featured in over 40 publications, including National Geographic, NPR, Newsweek Japan, BBC, and The Guardian. In 2014, he was named Best Photographer in Russia, and in 2017, he was awarded the Visa d’or Franceinfo: Award for the Best Digital News Story for his “Warm Waters, Kamchatka” series. Vlad is a citizen of the world. He is currently based in the Asia-Pacfic region and continues to work on photography and video projects there, in addition to Africa, Europe, Russia, and the Middle East.

“Cybernetics is the Greek word for governor, that’s where it came from. It was introduced into the contemporary discussion with a book by Norbert Wiener in 1948 called Cybernetics: Or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine. These were the very early days of computers and they were looking for a theory to guide the creation of computers.”Stuart Umpleby is Professor Emeritus of Management at George Washington University School of Business. He has served as President of the American Society of Cybernetics and is currently an Associate Editor of the Journal of Cybernetics and Systems. His studies in cybernetics, systems and management has led him to consult with the World Bank, US and Canadian government agencies as well as numerous corporate institutions throughout America, Europe, and Asia.· https://blogs.gwu.edu/umpleby · www.creativeprocess.info

Stuart Umpleby is Professor Emeritus of Management at George Washington University School of Business. He has served as President of the American Society of Cybernetics and is currently an Associate Editor of the Journal of Cybernetics and Systems. His studies in cybernetics, systems and management has led him to consult with the World Bank, US and Canadian government agencies as well as numerous corporate institutions throughout America, Europe, and Asia.· https://blogs.gwu.edu/umpleby · www.creativeprocess.info

Welcome to The Creative Process’s Poetry and Prose series. In this episode, we’ll be hearing powerful readings of poems and prose from Neil Gaiman, Marge Piercy, Alice Fulton, EJ Koh, Alice Notley, Gerald Fleming, Margo Berdeshevsky, Jess Wilber & Yu Young Lee.· www.neilgaiman.com· www.margepiercy.com· www.alicefulton.com· www.thisisejkoh.com· margoberdeshevsky.com· www.swimtheuniverse.com· www.creativeprocess.info

David Rubin began his career in New York on the production staff of Saturday Night Live, before working on the casting of Ragtime, Silkwood, and Amadeus. His career as a casting director includes more than 80 motion pictures, including The English Patient, Men in Black, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Lars and the Real Girl. He has also assembled the casts of TV productions such as Big Little Lies, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Little Fires Everywhere. In 2002, he received the Casting Society of America’s Hoyt Bowers Award for outstanding contribution to the casting profession. David Rubin is currently the president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.This episode originally aired in 2020.Image courtesy of OSCARS.ORG · Artwork: Victoria Villasana. www.oscars.org · www.creativeprocess.info

David Rubin began his career in New York on the production staff of Saturday Night Live, before working on the casting of Ragtime, Silkwood, and Amadeus. His career as a casting director includes more than 80 motion pictures, including The English Patient, Men in Black, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Lars and the Real Girl. He has also assembled the casts of TV productions such as Big Little Lies, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Little Fires Everywhere. In 2002, he received the Casting Society of America’s Hoyt Bowers Award for outstanding contribution to the casting profession. David Rubin is currently the president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.This episode originally aired in 2020.. www.oscars.org · www.creativeprocess.info

“I have this idea art should be in the world in as many forms and ways as possible, and I love communicating with skate decks… It partially started out in Brazil because what I was doing in Brazil is x-raying animals in the Amazon and I thought there was this idea in the old days that you’d go to the Amazon, you’d kill an animal, stuff it, bag it, and then you’d have this trophy of your kill. The alligators that we x-rayed were alive. I got them from a zoo in a town called Belem, which means Bethlehem in Portuguese.”Steve Miller is a multimedia artist born and raised in Buffalo, New York. Being an early pioneer for the ‘science-art’ movement, his most recognized works are those of paintings and sculptures of the natural world. One of his latest projects, entitled, “Health of the Planet”, works with Brazilian scientists to showcase the diversity and necessity of the lungs of our planet, the Amazon rainforest. With surfboards depicting diagrams of alligators, and stingrays, as well as printed x-rays of sloths and native fruits of the country, the intention of the project is for Brazil to take a closer inspection on their global contribution to the planet. Over the past 30 years Steven has presented over 30 solo exhibitions at institutions across the US, China, France and Germany, continuing these conversations about ourselves, each other, and the planet that connects us all.· www.stevemiller.com · www.creativeprocess.info

Steve Miller is a multimedia artist born and raised in Buffalo, New York. Being an early pioneer for the ‘science-art’ movement, his most recognized works are those of paintings and sculptures of the natural world. One of his latest projects, entitled, “Health of the Planet”, works with Brazilian scientists to showcase the diversity and necessity of the lungs of our planet, the Amazon rainforest. With surfboards depicting diagrams of alligators, and stingrays, as well as printed x-rays of sloths and native fruits of the country, the intention of the project is for Brazil to take a closer inspection on their global contribution to the planet. Over the past 30 years Steven has presented over 30 solo exhibitions at institutions across the US, China, France and Germany, continuing these conversations about ourselves, each other, and the planet that connects us all.· www.stevemiller.com · www.creativeprocess.info

“For a writer of non-fiction or essayist that’s very difficult to work with because we aren’t, or at least some of us don’t consider ourselves journalists. The tools that we are working with aren’t–What your favorite color is. Where you grew up. Or what your favorite number is. If we’re writing a profile of something, the tools that we’re working with are long conversations in which people are sharing anecdotes about themselves. When I do an interview with somebody, I don’t take out a tape recorder. I don’t have a notebook. I invite them on a walk so that we can feel at least that we’re just chatting.”John D’Agata is the author of Halls of Fame, About a Mountain, and The Lifespan of a Fact, as well as the editor of the 3-volume series  A New History of the Essay, which includes the anthologies The Next American Essay, The Making of the American Essay, and The Lost Origins of the Essay. His work has been supported by a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Howard Foundation Fellowship, an NEA Literature Fellowship, and a Lannan Foundation Fellowship. He holds a B.A. from Hobart College and two M.F.A.s from the University of Iowa, and recently his essays have appeared in The Believer, Harper's, Gulf Coast, and Conjunctions. John D’Agata lives in Iowa City where he teaches creative writing at the University of Iowa. The Lifespan of Fact was adapted into a Broadway play starring Daniel Radcliffe, Cherry Jones, and Bobby Cannavale.· www.johndagata.com· www.creativeprocess.info

John D’Agata is the author of Halls of Fame, About a Mountain, and The Lifespan of a Fact, as well as the editor of the 3-volume series  A New History of the Essay, which includes the anthologies The Next American Essay, The Making of the American Essay, and The Lost Origins of the Essay. His work has been supported by a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Howard Foundation Fellowship, an NEA Literature Fellowship, and a Lannan Foundation Fellowship. He holds a B.A. from Hobart College and two M.F.A.s from the University of Iowa, and recently his essays have appeared in The Believer, Harper's, Gulf Coast, and Conjunctions. John D’Agata lives in Iowa City where he teaches creative writing at the University of Iowa. The Lifespan of Fact was adapted into a Broadway play starring Daniel Radcliffe, Cherry Jones, and Bobby Cannavale.· www.johndagata.com· www.creativeprocess.info

“One of the first things that we did when we did when we arrived in New Zealand to start pre-production was to travel to some of the actual locations where the story is set. One of them is Hokitika on the West Coast of the south island of New Zealand. And we discovered there’s an absolutely fantastic very small but a little museum that was full of so much incredible archival photography that you could not find searching the internet and the imagery just inspired so many thoughts and ideas and design. What was really interesting is it’s so unique to New Zealand.”Australian Cinematographer of the Year (ACS), Denson Baker’s credits include the feature film Ophelia starring Daisy Ridley & Naomi Watts, Measure of a Man with Donald Sutherland, Judy Greer and Luke Wilson, The Luminaries with Eva Green and Eve Hewson, and Domina with Kasia Smutniak and Isabella Rossellini, and the opening and final scenes of Jordan Peele's Academy Award winning Get Out.· www.densonbaker.com· www.creativeprocess.info

Australian Cinematographer of the Year (ACS), Denson Baker’s credits include the feature film Ophelia starring Daisy Ridley & Naomi Watts, Measure of a Man with Donald Sutherland, Judy Greer and Luke Wilson, The Luminaries with Eva Green and Eve Hewson, and Domina with Kasia Smutniak and Isabella Rossellini, and the opening and final scenes of Jordan Peele's Academy Award winning Get Out.· www.densonbaker.com· www.creativeprocess.info

Sharon Kovacs is a soul-inspired singer from the Netherlands. Her unique and unorthodox vocal style made her stand out and she found international success when her debut single, “My Love” became a number one hit in Europe.Kovacs is honest about the struggles and inner-demons that she continues to face and how they inspire her art. “Shades of Black” reached the top of the charts in the Netherlands and garnered over 60 million views on YouTube. She’s won many awards and performed at Glastonbury and other major festivals.· https://kovacsmusic.com · www.creativeprocess.info

Sharon Kovacs is a soul-inspired singer from the Netherlands. Her unique and unorthodox vocal style made her stand out and she found international success when her debut single, “My Love” became a number one hit in Europe.Kovacs is honest about the struggles and inner-demons that she continues to face and how they inspire her art. “Shades of Black” reached the top of the charts in the Netherlands and garnered over 60 million views on YouTube. She’s won many awards and performed at Glastonbury and other major festivals.· https://kovacsmusic.com · www.creativeprocess.info

Yann Martel is the author of Life of Pi, the #1 international bestseller and winner of the 2002 Man Booker (among other prizes). He is also the award-winning author of The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios (winner of the Journey Prize), Self, Beatrice & Virgil, and 101 Letters to a Prime Minister. Born in Spain in 1963, Martel studied philosophy at Trent University, worked at odd jobs—tree planter, dishwasher, security guard—and traveled widely before turning to writing. He lives in Saskatoon, Canada, with the writer Alice Kuipers* and their four children. · www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/19175/yann-martel/· www.creativeprocess.info

Yann Martel is the author of Life of Pi, the #1 international bestseller and winner of the 2002 Man Booker (among other prizes). He is also the award-winning author of The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios (winner of the Journey Prize), Self, Beatrice & Virgil, and 101 Letters to a Prime Minister. Born in Spain in 1963, Martel studied philosophy at Trent University, worked at odd jobs—tree planter, dishwasher, security guard—and traveled widely before turning to writing. He lives in Saskatoon, Canada, with the writer Alice Kuipers* and their four children. · www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/19175/yann-martel/· www.creativeprocess.info

Siri Hustvedt is the internationally acclaimed author of a book of poems, six novels, four collections of essays, and a work of nonfiction. In 2012 she was awarded the International Gabarron Prize for Thought and Humanities. Her books include What I Loved; Memories of the Future; Living, Thinking, Looking; and The Blazing World, which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the Los Angeles Book Prize for Fiction. She has also published numerous papers in scholarly and scientific journals. She has a PhD in English literature from Columbia University and is a Lecturer in Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.· sirihustvedt.net· www.creativeprocess.infoPhoto by Marion Ettlinger

Siri Hustvedt is the internationally acclaimed author of a book of poems, six novels, four collections of essays, and a work of nonfiction. In 2012 she was awarded the International Gabarron Prize for Thought and Humanities. Her books include What I Loved; Memories of the Future; Living, Thinking, Looking; and The Blazing World, which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the Los Angeles Book Prize for Fiction. She has also published numerous papers in scholarly and scientific journals. She has a PhD in English literature from Columbia University and is a Lecturer in Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.· sirihustvedt.net· www.creativeprocess.infoPhoto by Marion Ettlinger