Creator's Cafe

Creative Executive Thomas Stockwell encourages us to create weirder and more innovative worlds for emerging VR capabilities. Follow: @onthelam84 Forbes Article Current: Head of Unscripted and Specials, Meta Former: VP, Alternative Programming and Development, Universal Television Alternative Studio/NBCUniversal Work with Jessica: On-Camera Coaching Create on-camera and in-person confidence by learning techniques from Hollywood Acting Coach Jessica Payne. Learn more here. Creator's Challenge: The Floor is Reality! Take your favorite hobby and make it into a reality show; perhaps combining it with the format of a show you love. Bio & Intro Thomas Stockwell is a creative executive who has helped with creating and designing experiences for unscripted, documentary, and innovative VR specials. After his success helping launch the first series of the Voice, he rose quickly to the VP of Alternative Programming and Development at NBC/Universal. There he helped create and develop delightful programming like Jimmy Fallon's "That's My Jam" on NBC and "Baking It", which was co-hosted by Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph. Thomas works as the Head of Unscripted Series at Meta. There he creates innovative VR experiences, such as the Just for Laugh's Presents Surrounded comedy series, and the immersive Red Rocks concert series, where you can get to see a 180 degree view and watch the concert in a fully edited VIP Point of view from the edge of the stage. I especially loved the Doja Cat and Jack Harlow concerts! Thomas is a dreamy creative executive who is charming and encourages us to thing bigger and then get clear. Mentioned Paul Telegdy The Voice Christina Aguilera Sia Rob Dyrdek Paul Reubens Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett Cardi B Light Sail VR Steve Harvey Taraji Henson Yara Shahidi Brooklyn Beckham Foo Fighters Post Malone Shaq Cardi B J Balvin Jack Harlow Doja Cat Louis the Child Red Rocks Live Just for Laughs Presen Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

Actress Suzanne Schmidt and I dive into how she aims for loving what she's doing 80% of the time. Follow: Suzanne on IG: @suzannejschmidt Suzanne's Website Suzanne on IMDB Hey You, It's Me Work with Jessica: On-Camera Coaching Create on-camera and in-person confidence by learning techniques from Hollywood Acting Coach Jessica Payne. Learn more here. Creator's Challenge: Flip the Script Take a recent situation that upset, baffled, or frustrated you, and write it as a comedy. Keep the inciting incident real/grounded, but find any aspect that could be slightly humorous, and build on that. Bio & Intro Suzanne Schmidt is an actor, producer, writer, director, and professor, and a National Michael Chekhov Association instructor. You may recognize her face from Sons of Anarchy or Days of Our Lives as some of her TV and Film. work. You may recognize her voice from her audiobook recordings or her voice acting on the English dubbed version of many Netflix shows. Suzanne is the CEO of High Tide Films, where she writes, produces, and acts in award winning projects. Her webseries Hey You, It's Me won awards for Best Webseries, Best Comedy, and Best Webisode. She has won many Best Actress awards for her beautiful dramatic film Not Nothing. And Suzanne plays JoAnne Tenuta in the upcoming biopic It Happened: The Judy Tenuta Story, directed by Taylor Blackwell. She is currently in preproduction for her upcoming project, Unboxing. She is a creative force of nature that I am proud to call my friend! Mentioned Not Nothing Unboxing From the Heart Productions Christie Maturo Drama 3/4 Productions David Fickas Brice Beckham Scott Freeburg Tom Irwin Alexander Gelman Blues for Mister Charlie Digital Hollywood Bennett Guillory Stella Adler Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

Filmmaker Robin Nyström reveals how his art is inspired by the team he builds. Follow: Personal website: https://www.robinnystrom.com/ Nicolife: https://www.nicolife.net/ Tracy Buckles: https://www.tracybuckles.com/ Work with Jessica: On-Camera Coaching Create on-camera and in-person confidence by learning techniques from Hollywood Acting Coach Jessica Payne. Learn more here. Creator's Challenge: Creative Community List who in your close circle has natural creative passions and talents, and see how they could complement yours and your projects Bio & Intro Robin Nyström is an LA-based filmmaker who was born in Stockholm and raised on a steady diet of Swedish meatballs and ABBA. As a writer, Robin loves to explore absurdist comedy and magical realism. His first independently produced web series Nicolife follows a wannabe influencer hoping to find YouTube fame at any cost. His second web series Tracy Buckles depicts a young woman who becomes the victim of a curse that prevents other people from hearing her voice. He is also the writer/director of multiple short films, including Broken, Super-Psycho-Killer-Bot from Outer Space and Judged. Mentioned Jennie Nyström Jason Kaiser — Director of Photography — @diekaiser Jersey Greene — Make-Up Artist & Special Effects Coordinator — @hey.jersey.greene Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

25. Jess Paul: It's Not Cake Filmmaker and actor Jess Paul and I dish on indie films and the dark side of the industry while she is wearing a croissant on her head. It makes sense. Follow: IG: ThisisJessPaul Jess's Filmmaking/Acting Website: JessPaul.net YouTube Fake Food Etsy Shop - https://www.etsy.com/shop/JessPaulArt IG for Art and Fake Food: @jesspaulart Onscreen purse construction by Erika Marks Work with Jessica: On-Camera Coaching Create on-camera and in-person confidence by learning techniques from Hollywood Acting Coach Jessica Payne. Learn more here. Creator's Challenge: Go watch an indie filmmaker's film Watch what your filmmaker friends are making and where their creative heart lies and create a connection by telling them what you liked about it. "What did you make?" Go to a film festival and get inspired! Bio & Intro My guest Jess Paul is an actor, filmmaker, and fake food-maker. Jess was the female lead in the Sundance Film Festival Selection, "The Immaculate Reception," a beautiful coming of age piece set in her home city of Pittsburgh. She has won multiple best actress awards, including the Margaret Anne Garza award at the Austin Revolution Film Festival for her work as the leading character in the AI themed feature film "Galatea." Jess got her start by self-producing the YouTube comedy news show "Wrecked Radio News" which went on to her getting more than 3 million views, a YouTube Partnership, and an international fan base. She pivoted to acting and filmmaking, where she is an indie darling known for multiple award winning films that have made the circuits, including "A Funny Man", Revry.TV's "Promenade" and her current short, "Burying Baby" which is already doing well on the festival scene. Luckily for me, she has also had commercial success because she met my former guest Jeremy Urann on set and came into my world! In addition to her acting and filmmaking career, Jess is a talented visual artist Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

Country music singer/songwriter Brandon Stansell and I dig into the raw truths from trailblazing queer rights in country music to enjoying a more intimate present story. Follow: @brandonstansell BrandonStansell.com Work with Jessica: On-Camera Coaching Create on-camera and in-person confidence by learning techniques from Hollywood Acting Coach Jessica Payne. Learn more here. Creator's Challenge: Journal Check-In Write honestly to yourself about where you currently are in your artistic journey and give yourself space for whatever the answer is. Bio & Intro Brandon Stansell is a singer/songwriter. His music video for his single "Hometown" was the first LGBTQ-themed video to premiere on CMT, and went on to be named one of Rolling Stone's 10 Best Country Videos of the year. Brandon's first album "Hurt People" is a beautiful and heartbreakingly vulnerable look behind his family's response to him coming out. That album also serves as the soundtrack to the documentaary named "Three Chords and a Lie" where Brandon revisits his Southern Baptist family as he prepares for his first show in his Tennessee hometown. His sophomore album titled "This Must Be The Place" stays true to his country roots and brings in upbeat pop influences. In his most recent project you can see him star with his real life boyfriend in "That's What I Feel About You." He's one of the strongest people I've ever met, and I mean that emotionally and physically! Mentioned "That's What I Feel About You" Stephen Garrett @stephen_lewis_garrett Devin Karringten @devink_film Kheaven Lewandowski @kheaven666 Feature in People Trent Atkinson @trentmakesthings Hometown Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

Filmmaker Carolina Alvarez and I dish on finishing post on her first feature film! Follow: Carolina's IG: @lafemmecarolina Femme Regard Website: femmeregard.com Femme Regard IG: femmeregard Sync on IG: @syncthemovie tiktok: @femmeregardtv Carolina's personal website: https://carolinaalvarez.co/ Work with Jessica: On-Camera Coaching Create on-camera and in-person confidence by learning techniques from Hollywood Acting Coach Jessica Payne. Learn more here. Creator's Challenge: One Location Logline Come up with a story that can happen in one location with two characters and write the log line for it. Bio & Intro Carolina Alvarez is an actor, filmmaker, producer, and podcaster. She co-founded Femme Regard Productions with Tessa Markle. They started with creating short films, which were successfull and won multiple awards. She and Tessa have produced 16 seasons of the Femme Regard podcast, which gives upcoming filmmakers valuable resources while highlighting women creators. Now Carolina is in post production on her first feature film, Sync as a writer, producer, actor, and director. Her feature has been awarded with the WIF and Sundance Institute gender balanced and equity in production ReFrame Stamp award. Carolina has also worked in post production, overseeing the mastering and localization of films for Warner Brothers and Disney. Now she is working as a creative director, developing her next projects, and preparing Sync for the festival circut! Across all of her work she champions developing filmmakers and creating opportunities for women in front of and behind the camera. Mentioned Tessa Markle @misstessalauren Aaron "Wheelz" @wheelz Sync EP Jake Arky @thejarky Noam Kroll's Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

TV Writer Ian Weinreich and I talk about the writer's balancing act between individual contribution and group collaboration. Follow: IG: ianweinreich Ian Weinreich at IMDB Creator's Challenge: Create an Audio Book Find a short story you love and record an audio book of it to see how pacing and tone translate. Bio & Intro Ian Weinreich is a writer and producer. He was a writer on The Flight Attendant, which was nominated for a Writer's Guild Award for best new series, and Ian's episode in Season 2 featured an epic mother daughter fight between Kayley Cuoco and Sharon Stone. He is currently wrapping up writing on season two of Dead Boy Detectives, a spinoff from Neil Gaiman's Sandman that is about to be released on Netflix. Ian got his start in TV writers rooms at Disney. You might know his work from shows such like Zach and Mia, Bunk'd, and My Little Pony: Reign of Buttercup Sprinkles. He went on to co-showrun the third season of Skylander's Academy for Activision on Netflix. But his wry dark comedic voice shines through in his current work, and in pieces like The Screen Junkies Show and Honest Trailers. Ian's writing is clever, sensitive and incredibly intelligent, much like the man himself. Mentioned Flight Attendant Steve Yockey Dead Boy Detectives Skylanders Academy Clayton Sakoda Transcripts and links at www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

Candace Jade Lewis and I dig in the sandbox of finding great work through play. On-Camera Coaching with Jessica Follow: IG: @candacejlewis | Website: Candacejadelewis.com | IMDB | Vimeo Creator's Challenge: 3 Panel Comic Create a 3 panel comic that shows a mini story with a beginning, middle, and end that has change! Bio & Intro Candace Jade Lewis is a Producer, Writer, Director, and Designer. She currently is an Associate Producer at Old Curiosity Shop working on the upcoming "Presumed Innocent" starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Negga. Prior to that she worked at Bad Robot, the production company headed by Katie McGrath and J.J. Abrams where you may have seen her work on "Castle Rock" and "The Cloverfield Paradox." Along with being a producer working with top tier creators, Candace is a powerful creator in her own arenas. She is a photographer, visual artist, writer, and she has directed multiple music videos and short films, including the upcoming "Two Frogs in Boiling Water." She creates graphic art for industry professionals, including storyboards, vanity cards, and pitch decks to help get stories get sold. Her online promotional series featuring a Bad Robot puppet protagonist created fascinating mini genre films that I couldn't get enough of. Mentioned Dustin Thomason Bad Robot David E. Kelley Presumed Innocent Miranda July Michel Gandry Spike Jonze Jean-Pierre Jeunet Kar-Wai Wong Wayne White PBF Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

Jeremy and I talk turning insecurities into assets into gigs. Follow: @jeremyurann www.jeremyurann.com Creator's Challenge: Build Your Own Reel Turn the camera on and record the core of what you'd like to put out into the world by improvising a moment and catching it on tape. Bio & Intro Jeremy Urann is an actor, writer, dancer, model, filmmaker and creative juggernaut. Jeremy got his start in the Pacific Northwest, where he created plays and home-made movies with his five siblings. He went on to found "Fat Gratitude Productions" with his siblings Sheri and Sean Urann, where they produce documentaries and work for local non-profits and community-based organizations. After going to school for Dramatic writing, he worked as an actor, writer, choreographer, and director until COVID hit, and he took to TikTok to dance and entertain. That led him to opportunities in LA, where in the last three years alone, he has modeled for 15 brands and appeared in over 50 commercials. Jeremy is passionate about creating representative art that celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community and the plus-sized community. He has created and produced three short films and killed it as a brawn model for brands from Savage X Fenty to Peloton. Mentioned: Kenny Castro "Paint My Lips Pretty" Fat Gratitude Productions Sheri Urann Sean Urann Kamarie Chapman Sherwood Productions Bottoms Drive-Away Theatre Camp Issa Rae Tina Fay Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

Miky Mik and I dig in to how creating power pop rock music videos and working towards her PhD in Microbiology are both expressions of the same creative exploration Follow: @MikyMikOfficial MikyMik.com Miky Mik Creator's Challenge: Compose with an App Write your emotions in a journal; highlight the core ideas, take that to a music app and pair it with a melody OR - download an instrumental app, create a melody around an emotion and see what words come out to create a melody Bio & Intro Miky Mik is a power pop rock singer-songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles. Since picking up her first electric guitar at 14, she's been playing and writing songs. Mik has developed a modern pop twist on 90s garage band pop punk. Her lyrics are empowering and aggressive in all the best ways. She performs regularly as a frontman with her band in LA including recent appearances at the Viper Room and the Whiskey. I really enjoy her recent music video Nuclear Fallout. She has also collaborated with Youngcarebare and Stolen Audio and has several releases from her female pop punk duo Mik & Maxi. Mik is a scientist earning her PhD by day and a powerful pop punk rocker by night! Mentioned Mik & Maxi Maxi @maddmaxi Justin @thetravelingrocker NASA - sending up sounding rockets Kramer Guitars Courtney Love TLC Green Day Whisky a Go-Go The Viper Room Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

Luca Malacrino talk about how he navigates the rollercoaster ride of a creative career by getting in the driver's seat and steering towards the excitement. Follow: IG: @glucamalacrino IMDB LucaMalacrino.com Creator's Challenge: Pillars Career | Health | Relationships | Finances | Personal - Pt 1) Why am I feeling based on the bullet points that I put down, and how can I grow? Pt 2) Visualize the end result Bio & Intro Luca Malacrino is an actor, writer, producer, and business owner. You may have seen him on TV in shows like Criminal Minds as Paul Sorvino's son, in Grey's Anatomy, Coronation Street, or Jim Carrey's I'm Dying Up Here. Luca is a member of the BAFTA Newcomers Academy, and has worked with Fracis Ford Coppola in "Distant Vision." He co-owns the production company "The Chameleon Effect" with the talented writer Alex Hanno. Luca starred in their feature film Elephants and will be in the upcoming Dominus. They recently filmed the feature "A Social Contract" starring Sean Astin. And he stars in the short Entrainment, which is currently doing well on the festival circuit. Luca grew up in an Italian restaurant in Wales, has owned and sold two nightclubs, and has a wildly successful online business. Mentioned Kaylee Hawley's Creator's Cafe Episode Alex Hanno Bill Prokopow Film Quest "Nessum Dorma" Sean Astin A Social Contract The Contractor Consultants Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

Kristen Klehr and I talk about how to set up the right conditions for satisfying artistic collaborations and our respect for those people actually putting themselves out "on the field" artistically (and in rugby!) Follow: IG @kristenklehr KristenKlehr.com Produced by BEAR The Den Collective Pawprint Music Creator's Challenge: Have the conversation Visualize a conversation with the target audience or team to see how the project may happen in real life Bio & Intro Kristen Klehr is a Grammy-nominated percussionist, singer, CEO, producer, and professor. She has toured internationally with Scrap Arts music, performed with Gryffin at Coachella, and records in the Hollywood studio scene. Her work with The String Theory: The Los Angeles Suite earned her that Grammy nom. Kristen is a serial entrepreneur within in the music industry, where she founded "Produced by BEAR" to produce music industry events, started "The Den Collective" to provide resources to professional musicians, and co-founded "Pawprint" which aims to print digital music of award winning women composers. She is the Professional Development and Engagement Center Director at the SF Conservatory of music, where she is innovating the future of the music business industry. Mentioned Scrap Arts Music Gryffin Rick Rubin The String Theory San Francisco Conservatory Multiple Discovery Phenomenon Quality vs Quantity experiments Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

Paul Perri and I dig into the terror and glory of surrendering yourself as an artist. Check out Paul's body of work: IMDB IBDB Quotes: John Gielgud: "Acting is half shame, half glory. Shame at exhibiting yourself, glory when you can forget yourself." Raymond Chandler: “In Hollywood they destroy the link between the writer and his subconscious. After that what he does is merely performance. His heart is somewhere else.” Rumi: “Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates. At the first gate, ask yourself, ‘Is it true?’ At the second ask, ‘Is it necessary?’ At the third gate ask, ‘Is it kind?” Rumi: “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about. Ideas, language, even the phrase “each other” doesn’t make any sense. The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep. You must ask for what you really want. Don’t go back to sleep. People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch. The door is round and open. Don’t go back to sleep.” - from "A Great Wagon" Creator's Challenge: Let it be wrong Do an artistic project but don't aim to be "right"; allow it to be whatever it is. Bio & Intro Paul Perri is an actor, director and teacher. He got his start at Julliard, and was in the Bachhae, Macbeth, and A View from the Bridge on Broadway. Paul replaced John Malkovich in the leading role in Burn This on Broadway, where his show poker name was "Spike." Paul plays Trent Lott against Christian Bale in the movie Vice. He is in films with Stallone, Snipes, and Bullock. Paul was the lead in a film where they shut down part of Times Square for him to act. He's in Hellraiser, Manhunter, Freeway, and the Hannah Montana movie. He's been in so many fun TV shows I can't list them, but my personal highlights are Battlestar Galactica, ER, Seinfeld, NYPD, CSI, Caprica, and the West Wing. He's a wonderful teacher and director who excels at getting actors out of their head and into the moment. Mentioned The Bacchae Michael Cacoyannis Irene Papas Burn This Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

Bri Oglu and I talk about using your journey to define your voice and your aesthetic. Follow: IG: @brioglu Website: brioglu.com "Dream On" on YouTube Music "Enough" on YouTube TikTok @brioglu IMDB Creator's Challenge: Find Your 3 Adjectives Define three adjectives that you want to lead with in visually representing yourself Bio & Intro Bri Oglu is a singer-songwriter and actor based in LA. She performs all over LA regularly including venues like the Viper Room, the Townhouse, and the Peppermint Club. Her original music and covers have hundreds of thousands of streams, She has an iconic cinematic pop sound and the mix of her intimate singer-songwriter sound combined with her soaring high belt make her one of my favorite singers working right now. Mentioned Featured performances Beyonce "Crazy in Love" cover Radiohead cover Aerosmith Dream on cover Beyonce clip Medium Christina Apostolopoulos IG: @christinaaposto Will Snyder IG: @okwillsnyder Sunset Sound Harold Meers @haroldmeers Nene ("Grandmother" in Turkish) Blackwood Cafe Javista Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

Dr. Stephen Harrick and I catch up on Blue Men, Pulp, ComiCon, and his big swing from theatre to comics. Follow: IG: @stephenharrick StephenHarrickComics@gmail.com Facebook Deviant Art Creator's Challenge: Do it with an audience Create something outside of your comfort zone, and then share it with a safe audience for feedback. Bio & Intro Stephen Harrick is a writer, director, actor, teacher and scholar. His comics have been published by GreyHaven Comics and Ink & Drink Comics (the latter of which he is an active member), as well as the self-published Pulp-Sized Comics (with art by John King and Rhyan Sollace) and Dirt Sheet (co-created with John King). He has written extensively on comics, publishing with The Beat (comicsbeat.com) and Straight Up Magazine, as well as presenting in the Comics Studies Society's annual conference. He has a PhD in Theatre from Bowling Green State University, and has published in Sporting Performances: Politcs in Play, Theatre Journal, Theatre History Studies, New England Theatre Journal, Theatre Topics and Etudes. He has worked in professional and university theatres throughout the United States as a director, actor and dramatist. He has taught theatre, performance, comics and literature at Central Michigan University, Defiance College, Ohio Northern University and Bowling Green State University. He lives and works in the St. Louis area. Mentioned Kloie Leslie Matthew Miller John King Rhyan Sollace Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

13: Sam DiSalvo: Somebody Needs to Hear This Sam DiSalvo and I chat celebrity sightings, lurking at standup gigs, posing as an Olson twin on AOL, cool-kid substacks, bar culture, and dealing with death in a wide-ranging fun and vulnerable conversation. Follow: IG: @samdisalvooo Substack "honestly tho" TikTok: @heyitssamfromschool Creator's Challenge: Dance Alone Put on headphones, pump the music, and dance in your room by yourself! Bio & Intro Sam DiSalvo is mostly a writer with actor and comedian tendencies. She's been featured in SF Sketchfest, San Diego Her Film Challenge, and So Say We All's VAMP. When she's not performing, she loves having existential conversations and baking. Sam has appeared in national commercials and new works readings, has written for top companies and worked with A-List musicians, and writes my favorite substack newsletter, titled "honestly tho." Sam is based in LA, but if you happen to be in San Francisco on February first, she's performing in VAMP at Sketchfest at the Marsh theatre at 9:30pm. Mentioned VAMP of So Say We All Farewell, PianoFight Born Emo national commercial for Rocket Money Jake Arky, husband & Creator's Cafe episode #10 guest! Greta Gerwig Mike Birbiglia's comedy special Talk Easy with Sam Fergoso Olivia Rodgrigo Snail Mail Petey Smiling: study results replicated Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

I join my former professor Brian Jones for a special in-person episode live from the Artist's Hand Gallery and Espresso Bar in Indiana, PA. Follow: Artist's Hand Gallery Sandglass Theater When I put on your Glove Creator's Challenge: Emerging Vision Board Collect images that feel like you. Rip them into pieces and assemble on a vision board, not aiming for anything realistic. Then paint or draw the essence of what you have created. Bio & Intro Brian Jones is Scenic and lighting design professor and former department chair of theatre and dance at IUP, my undergrad. Brian has designed scenery and lighting for more than 200 productions across the nation, while holding a full teaching load. He’s my former professor! Brian’s the Founding executive director of Footlight Players youth theatre program. And most relevant to this episode, Brian is the founding owner of The Artists hand gallery and espresso bar. At the time of this recording I am in town visiting my family for the holidays and stopped by to do my very first in person podcast episode from the artist's hand so you will hear espresso machines and all the activity of a working Cafe and gallery enjoy the soundscape as part of this episode. Indiana University of Pennsylvania Ed Simpson Sandglass Theatre Quote: On Commitment, by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe Until one is committed, there is always hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising to one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no one could have dreamed would come her way. Whatever you can do or dream you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

Olivia Stambouliah and I discuss working with Michael Bay, Jane Campion, and on the Walking Dead, and how she brings her full spirit to her all her roles from blockbuster to sketch to art film. Follow: Olivia on IG @oliviastambouliah | Olivia on IMDB Dita von Teese: You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there's still going to be somebody who hates peaches. Olivia: We're all creative in some way and it doesn't have to have a monetized outcome. Olivia: Art should be uncomfortable, but it should be safe. Creator's Challenge: Practice Cold Reading Pick up any piece of text and read it out loud! The act of cold reading is a different muscle than internal reading that needs to be exercised Bio & Intro Olivia Stambouliah is an actor, producer, director, and educator. You may know her from AMC’s the Walking Dead. Or from Michael Bay’s blockbuster movie Ambulance, where she closed down LA and chased Jake Gyllenhaal from a helicopter! But she got her on screen start back in Australia, where she was in the movie The Silence and then starred as a core ensemble member in an SNL-style show: Ben Elton’s Live from Planet Earth. She’s played everything from a cavewoman to Madea, from Amy Winehouse to an arm-wrestling champion. Mentioned Ambulance Michael Bay Abby Bluestone My Sister and I Jane Campion Paola Morabito The Walking Dead Eve Gordon Kevin Carrol Danai Gurira Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

10. Jake Arky: Building Artistic Community Jake Arky and I dig into acting villainous onstage but not in real life. Follow: @thejarky Acting Storytelling So Say We All Tiny Titan Productions Femme Regard Creator's Challenge: Garbage Free Write Free write for 10 minutes, knowing most if not all is garbage - you are clearing the junk out of your head in a meditative process Bio & Intro My guest Jake Arky is an actor, writer, and producer. As an actor he recently appeared in the Bay Area production of Silent Sky along with commercial and film projects. Jake is the Co-founder of So Say We All, a non-profit dedicated to educating and producing storytelling events , which has flourished in San Diego for almost 15 years and is now adding shows in LA and San Francisco. Jake is an award-winning writer whose work has been published by SSWA press. Jake is a producing partner with Tiny Titan, where he executive produced the short film The Waiting Room. He is currently working as Executive Producer on the feature SYNC, from Femme Regard. Jake is a champion of artists and a master collaborator. Silent Sky Lauren Gunderson Elena Wright Jennifer LeBlanc TheatreWorks of Silicon Valley La Jolla Playhouse Justin Hudnell Jennifer Corley SF Sketchfest The Moth Carolina Alvarez Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...

Leonora Anzaldua and I dive into how she uses the camera as a character in her cinematography, and how she brings dramatic dimension through lighting the darkness. Follow: LeonoraMakesMovies.com IG: LeonoraMakesMovies IG: LeonoraMakesPhotos IMDB Creator's Challenge: Tell a story in a single picture Communicate a message with just images Bio & Intro My guest Leonora Anzaldua is a filmmaker, photographer, and storyteller. She has worked on American Horror Story, shot documentaries across Asia, created many award-winning short films, and shot with AwesomenessTV and Skybound Entertainment. Leonora has worked with Barnes and Noble, All Saints, Ball is Life, Buzzfeed Branded, Fox Studios, and WNYC Studios. Her works have screened at many festivals and earned her the Sun Cinematography award, along with a Student Emmy nomination. She creates stunning images through her work which combine deep character reflection with beautiful storytelling. is inspired by Renaissance painters, contemporary studio artists, and her own deep dive into cultural representation. Leonora is a passionate creator committed to amplifying underrepresented voices. Mentioned Ian Asbjørnsen Caravaggio/Chiaroscuro Gregory Crewdson Creator's Cafe with Jessica Payne of Kika Labs Host Jessica Payne of Kika Labs breaks down the subtle and the sublime of the creative process with inspiring artists at the Creator's Cafe. Find out more info on the show and host Jessica Payne. Offering digital courses, performance coaching, and more! www.kikalabs.com Jessica's Featured Course: If you or someone you know is on the job search, check out her digital course "Level Up Your Video Interviews." More info and resources at | www.kikalabs.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube | YouTube Creator's Cafe Podcast Playlist Follow the Show | @creatorscafebykikalabs Facebook Group | Creator's Cafe by Kika Labs Transcripts and YouTube Links at | www.kikalabs.com/creators-cafe-shownotes Theme Music Our theme music is composed and performed by Kyle deTarnowsky. www.k...