Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity

On this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down with Susan Hensley, author of "Art for Your Sanity: How Art Journaling Can Help You Manage Chaos and Unleash Joy. As a transformational coach, author, and speaker, Susan has realized that there was still joy within her creative endeavors that hadn't been felt since childhood. With the help of art journaling - keeping a visual & creative diary designed to express thoughts and explore various styles - Susan has turned her perfectionism and frustrations to a constant stream of happiness, excitement, and exploration. And she's looking forward to sharing all of what she has learned with you. Learn more about Susan and her works by clicking HERE. Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

Welcome to the Season 11 Premiere of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity. After taking a couple of much-needed months off, host & producer George Sirois sits down with writer / producer / podcaster Alan "A L" Katz! With a career that spans several decades, Alan was an integral force behind franchises such as HBO's Tales from the Crypt (plus its two theatrical features Demon Knight and Bordello of Blood), Freddy's Nightmares, Children of the Corn, The Outer Limits, and more! As a podcaster, Alan has been a guest on countless shows and his own shows have attracted a lot of attention from listeners and critics, with his "How Not to Make a Movie" Podcast (all about Bordello of Blood behind the scenes) being named the Best Film Podcast of 2022 by Entertainment Weekly! Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

ORIGINALLY POSTED 03/26/2019 On this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host and producer George Sirois has a little something he needs to tell all of you, something he needed to tell himself. Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

ORIGINALLY POSTED 10/16/2018 For Episode 4 of Excelsior Journeys, host George Sirois welcomes actress / writer / director / producer / yoga instructor Kristina Erikson. They talk about their time together at Marymount Manhattan College, Kristina continuing on her journey as an actress after graduation, how yoga played a major role in regaining the confidence in herself, how the highs and lows in her life prompted her to create her short film Evolved, and more. To learn more about Kristina and her journey, please visit her on Instagram at @kristinaeriksonyogi. Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

On this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois celebrates the completion of 10 seasons by answering several audiobook narrating-related questions, and drops a very interesting piece of information regarding what to expect over the next couple of months. Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

On this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down with author & filmmaker Paul Skidmore. A lover of storytelling since his youth, Paul has dedicated himself to bringing those stories to life on both the page as short stories & novels, and as short films, sketches, and feature films shot in Tennessee. By doing so, he has attracted various crew members, actors, musicians, and others that could dedicate themselves to being a local film production company. And Paul uses his platform to teach others the craft and get them excited about bringing their own stories to life. You can learn more about Paul by clicking HERE. Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

On this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down with author Nkrumah Mensah. For years, she had kept her works in a drawer, away from potential readers, until her daughter found one of her manuscripts and sent it to her book club, otherwise known as "The Battle of the Books." Suddenly, Nkrumah had a group of avid readers bullying her into telling them what happens next, and before she knew it, she had an audience before her first published book. This resulted in "Anne of Survivor," the first in a seven-part series of novels. Find out more about Nkrumah and her other works by clicking HERE. Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

On this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down with Mr. Michael Dennis. For years, Michael has served his community in Texas as a local pastor, but in addition to that, he has recently checked the box of a big item on his bucket list by trying out stand-up comedy. He has since not only found his voice on the small stage, but he has also connected with other comics, emceed charity events, and even went on the road to different comedy clubs in Texas. Find out more about Michael's journey in stand-up by going HERE. Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

On this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down with DE Walsh, a prolific poet who has his archive of more than five thousand works available on Amazon, and also has an extensive amount of experience - both personal and professional - with mental health counseling. He talks in his memoir about the psychotic break he suffered while in Dartmouth College in 1975 among many other subjects in this very lively conversation. Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

On this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down with Douglas Fifer, a decades-long member of the Alaskan Police Department who oversaw the development of so many depraved and explicit crimes that he knew would have an audience of true crime fans. So he took a collection of his experiences and turned them into an anthology called 50 Shades of True Crime, some of the most sexually deviant crimes he ever experienced. While he has naturally found a fanbase of true crime lovers, Doug has also gained attention from aspiring authors who look at creating their own anthology as a great way to introduce yourself to readers everywhere. Get your copy of Doug's book by clicking HERE. And check out Doug's website as well by clicking HERE. Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

This week on Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down with Zack Zeller, a marketing mastermind who has gained the trust of several different 7-8 figure authors. For nearly ten years, he has pushed forward his strategy of making your publicity materials just as creative as the work you're promoting, and he is on a mission to reach as many different authors, filmmakers, speakers, etc. as possible. Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

This week on Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois is proud to sit down and have a chat with a man who was a crucial element added to the entertainment industry. In the late 1980s, Art Bell took a chance on an idea: to create a channel based purely on comedy. That idea became a reality for him when he founded The Comedy Channel, which would eventually be renamed Comedy Central. And once this cable channel started producing hits like South Park, Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, The Daily Show, and more, Art moved on to Court TV to serve as its President, and then moved on to writing his own memoir about running Comedy Central, and NOW is an author of modern-day noir thrillers such as "What She's Hiding." To find out more about "What She's Hiding" and other works - past, present, and future - please click HERE. Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

This week on Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois welcomes back to the show filmmaker Michael Charron. As one of the writer/directors who sat in with George on a live recording at the Austin Revolution Film Festival last February, Michael got to share a little bit about his short film that was being screened there: The Time Capsule. Now, with a completed screenplay for a new short film - as well as a proof of concept - called It's Not Hard to Be Romantic About Time Travel, Michael is back on to not only share more details about this sci-fi comedy, but also to go further into his own background in filmmaking ever since childhood. You can contribute to the creation of It's Not Hard to be Romantic About Time Travel by clicking HERE. Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

On this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down with fellow author Andrew Serra. While the two share a passion for storytelling, Andrew's journey to get into writing is a far different, much more eventful path. Andrew has been a lover of storytelling for most of his life, but he has also lived most of that life in one of the greatest collection of heroes in this country: the New York Fire Department. After being on the NYFD for over twenty-five years, eventually retiring as the Captain of Ladder 20 in SoHo, Andrew fed his love of writing in the Historical Fiction genre and also wrote the 9/11 memoir Finding John. To find out more about Andrew, including his historical fiction debut "Hell's Hundred Acres," click HERE. Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

This week on Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down with author & interior designer Amy Barrickman. Ever since she started her design business in 2010, Amy has been working nonstop with her clients and with her social media channel where she shares different designing tips on a regular basis. It didn't take long for these videos to go viral, and they caught the attention of QVC, who invited Amy to appear as an on-camera design expert. This year, Amy took the next step in sharing her design experience with her own book, The Living Room Design Formula: Style Your Home Like a Pro, One Room at a Time, which is now available from booksellers everywhere. Get your copy HERE. Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

This week on Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host and producer George Sirois sits down for a very open and deep conversation with filmmaker, publisher, and professor Autumn Karen. Having dedicated so much of her life to storytelling, Autumn has opened the doors to both authors and potential filmmakers with both Woven Lines Publishing and Medusa's Gaze Films. And Autumn has chosen an extremely personal story to tell for the first film presented by Medusa's Gaze: Infinity Care. Learn more about Autumn and her many ventures by clicking HERE. And make sure you donate to Infinity Care's Seed & Spark campaign by clicking HERE. The Excelsior Journeys podcast exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

PRODUCER'S NOTE: APOLOGIES FOR THE AUDIO GLITCHES YOU'LL BE HEARING IN THIS EPISODE, MOSTLY WHENEVER YOU HEAR ME TALKING FOR LONGER STRETCHES. THANKFULLY, ANNIE'S RECORDING SOUNDS GREAT. ENJOY! This week on Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down with author, speaker, film & television actress, and social media personality Annie Korzen! Starting her career as an actress / writer for Off-Broadway Theatre, she has appeared in various television shows and films, including four memorable appearances on Seinfeld. And after years as a successful author / performer / public speaker, Annie's popularity really took off unexpectedly when she went viral on TikTok, becoming a social media influencer. This led to her releasing her latest book "The Book of Annie: Humor, Heart, and Chutzpa from an Accidental Influencer." Find out more about Annie by clicking HERE. Make sure you follow Annie on TikTok HERE. And while you're at it, get Annie's books by clicking HERE. The Excelsior Journeys podcast exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

NOTE: THE CONVERSATIONS IN THIS EPISODE ARE OF AN EXPLICIT NATURE. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM PLAYING THIS EPISODE AROUND ANYONE 17 YEARS OF AGE OR YOUNGER. THANK YOU.  On this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down with director Vic Lagina. After answering an ad to take part in the production of an adult scene, Vic quickly became a strong asset in the triple-x industry. But while his work got him out of debt and into a much more lavish lifestyle, he was witness to so much more of the darker side than he could have imagined. When he decided to walk away from that world, he used his two decades of experience as the basis of his novel "Filthy: The Rise and (Pending) Death of Vic Lagina," which is available on his own website as well as online booksellers. Check out Vic's website - and see the trailer for "Filthy" - by clicking HERE. The Excelsior Journeys podcast exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

This week on Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down with author Steph Katzovi. While in the third grade, Steph declared in an essay that when she grew up, she would become a writer. That drive to write for a living never fully went away, even when she went through law school and worked as a strategic communications consultant for Deloitte. Two decades after writing that essay, Steph wrote Hurricamp, the first in the young adult Camp Hillside series, and she made the decision to switch to writing full-time. To this day, Steph is still writing full-time and she is thrilled to announce the latest Camp Hillside book, Miscommunicamp, while working on the third and final book of this trilogy. Learn more about Steph by clicking HERE. The Excelsior Journeys podcast exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

On this very special episode of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sets up a live conversation at the 2025 Austin Revolution Film Festival. On the night of the awards gala where George's "Minus One Plus" was nominated for Best US Short Script - SciFi, George opened the floor to any filmmakers who wanted to share their experiences when it came to putting their films together and enjoying the festival itself. The attending filmmakers (and the films they represented) are as follows: Michael Charron, "The Time Capsule" Darwin Reina, Katie Reyes, and Scott Simpson, "A Hell of a Trip to Delicias" Jay Strong, "Smoke and Mirrors" Anjelica Hymel, "Twice as Shy" For more information about the Austin Revolution Film Festival, please click HERE. PLEASE NOTE: I only had one microphone so I set it up in the middle of the table in the break room at the festival, so please forgive the audio quality of this one. AUTHOR'S NOTE: The night that this episode was filmed, George's screenplay "Minus One Plus" won the award for Best US Short Script - SciFi. The Excelsior Journeys podcast exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists. If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.