Are you feeling stuck, burned out, or just going through the motions? Do you want a life that feels present, alive, and joyful? Your Creative Mind is here to spark your imagination, awaken your spirit, and help you build the life and career you’ll love. Hosted by Izolda Trakhtenberg—an expert in creativity, communication, and mindfulness—this podcast dives deep into how we can use creativity to solve life’s biggest challenges. Whether you’re writing your first novel, sketching your next masterpiece, or tackling global issues like the climate crisis, creativity holds the key to transformative solutions. Episodes feature intimate and inspiring conversations with Grammy and Tony winners, bestselling authors, acclaimed actors, and innovative leaders. They share their secrets on staying motivated, inspired, and productive, offering practical tools and fresh perspectives to supercharge your creative drive, mindfulness, and communication skills. Other episodes will give you actionable steps you can take today to infuse your life with the juice and sizzle of creativity. Discover answers to profound questions that even our guests have never considered, and gain actionable insights to unlock your own creative potential. From tech CEOs to Broadway producers, conservationists to comedians, our guests span industries and disciplines, bringing you cutting-edge ideas and timeless wisdom. Your Creative Mind is more than a podcast; it’s a guide to living fully, thinking boldly, and creating with purpose. Subscribe now and start transforming your world one creative solution at a time.
Episodes
Wednesday Jul 08, 2020
Wednesday Jul 08, 2020
Andrew Lippa
Award-winning composer of The Addams Family, Big Fish, The Wild Party, and many other musicals joins me for the podcast.
In addition to his incredible talent and many accomplishments, he was also the Oberon to my Titania, the Brack Weaver to my Jennie Parsons, and the Ralph Rackstraw to my Josephine. My high school leading man joins me to talk about arts education, creativity, and the work of the arts. Here's more about Andrew. And really, go listen to the episode. It's incredible!
About Andrew
Andrew Lippa’s “Unbreakable” had its world premiere with The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus on June 22nd and 23rd, 2018 with 300 artists onstage, including Mr. Lippa. It is now available for purchase and streaming. He conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in a new production of his “A Little Princess” in concert in London at the Royal Festival Hall in May, 2018 to a sold-out crowd of nearly 3,000 people. His hit song “Evil Like Me” appears in Disney’s “Descendants”. Written for Kristin Chenoweth, that soundtrack hit #1 on the “Billboard 200” album chart, #1 on the iTunes and Billboard soundtrack charts. “Evil Like Me” was certified gold in 2017. His epic oratorio for men’s chorus, orchestra and soloists, I Am Harvey Milk has seen over 30 productions including Disney Hall and Lincoln Center. Andrew’s new musical, The Man in the Ceiling, released a world premiere studio album in May of 2019.
Broadway credits include: Music and lyrics for Big Fish directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman; the Tony-nominated music and lyrics for the Broadway musical The Addams Family (directed by Jerry Zaks) as well as the music for Aaron Sorkin’s Broadway play The Farnsworth Invention (directed by Des McAnuff). Other musicals include the Drama Desk award winning musical The Wild Party (book/music/lyrics); A Little Princess (music); john & jen (music/book); Asphalt Beach (music and lyrics); Life of the Party (a compendium of Mr. Lippa’s works); and You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (additional music/lyrics and arrangements).
Awards include Tony and Grammy nominations; shared Emmy for Nickelodeon’s “The Wonder Pets”; SFGMC Vanguard Award; The Drama Desk Award; The Outer Critics Circle Award. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Mr. Lippa serves as president of the board of The Dramatists Guild Foundation (dgf.org).andrewlippa.com
Friday Jul 03, 2020
Friday Jul 03, 2020
In this third installment on how to bring out your inner Creative Genius, I explore what you need to do to begin a daily practice of innovative and creative thinking. If you can make it a habit, you will revolutionize your life!
Thursday Jul 02, 2020
Thursday Jul 02, 2020
Welcome to today's podcast short. It's all about how this one simple thing can help you create and also adhere to your deadlines.
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
Deb Cummins Stellato on How To Use Your Whole Brain To Succeed
Deb Cummins Stellato is an igniter of people and organizations. She’s a certified coach, consultant, speaker, and leadership guru. She brings insight, energy, and experience to individuals and teams looking to be the best versions of themselves.
Our conversation ranged from confidence-building to whole-brain thinking to creativity in business to how an accounting firm's employees got ignited to innovate and thrive.
Find Deb
Facebook: The Think Good Company and Think Courageously
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debrahcummins/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/think_good_company/
Tuesday Jun 30, 2020
Tuesday Jun 30, 2020
Welcome to today's podcast episode short.
You'll be able to hear a short every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On these short days, we'll explore creativity, communication, collaboration, and sustainable innovation.
More soon.
Izolda
Wednesday Jun 24, 2020
Wednesday Jun 24, 2020
Jennifer Ashley Tepper is the producer of the musicals Be More Chill, Broadway Bounty Hunter, and Love In Hate Nation, recent projects that are part of a decade-long collaboration with the group known as Joe Iconis & Family. She is also the Creative and Programming Director at Feinstein’s/54 Below, co-creator of the Bistro Award-winning concert series celebrating under-appreciated musicals If It Only Even Runs A Minute, and conceiver and director of The Jonathan Larson Project. Her other Broadway credits include [title of show], The Performers, Godspell, Macbeth, and The Parisian Woman. As a writer, Tepper has authored three volumes of The Untold Stories of Broadway book series.
What an inspiring and exciting conversation. Check it out. You'll hear so much about theater, theater history, and what it takes to produce a show.
Find Jennifer
Jennifer's website: http://www.jenniferashleytepper.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenashtep/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenashtep
And check out: Broadway Bounty Hunter
Jennifer's books about the Theaters of Broadway
Untold Stories of Broadway, Volume 1
Untold Stories of Broadway, Volume 2
Untold Stories of Broadway, Volume 3
Books Jennifer recommended
Everything was possible. The birth of the musical Follies
Underfoot in Show Business by Helaine Hunph
Wednesday Jun 17, 2020
Wednesday Jun 17, 2020
The Sophisticated Psychos
The Sophisticated Psychos met in a recording studio in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC. Bay boy, producer, and songwriter, Nicky Scorpio met poet, actor, producer, and Detroit-native Kyriaki after her international tour with 50 Cent & G-unit, and the connection was instantaneous. These two visionary artists then created The Sophisticated Psychos, and they are now on a mission to be role models and change perspectives on pop culture and mental health.
Their sound is hard-hitting, self-produced trap and electronic beats with raw, edgy, and very honest subject matter dealing with abuse, wellness, and society. TSP are now focused on spreading their music and messages of values and ethics, through music and visual content.
And Kyriaki just released a single called Angels and Rainbows. Stick around to the end of the episode and you can listen to the song.
Find Kyriaki.
Website: https://www.chonacas.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chonacas/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chonacas
Find Nicky.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonickyscorpio/
Follow The Sophisticated Psychos: https://thesophisticatedpsychos.com/
Listen to the Podcast on these platforms.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer
Wednesday Jun 10, 2020
Wednesday Jun 10, 2020
John DeDakis, Former CNN copy editor on The Situation Room and former White House Correspondent Joins Me This Week.
John DeDakis is a Former CNN senior copy editor on the award-winning The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and former White Hosue correspondent who left reporting the news world to write about it. His Lark Chadwick series is gripping, insightful, and full of suspense.
In Fake, the latest in the series, DeDakis tackles fake news and how it can ruin lives and perhaps even topple governments. We met at a meeting of the Maryland Writer’s Association. John was teaching one of the workshops, and I had the pleasure of learning from him. Some of what he taught that day changed my writing style and perhaps even how I approach my life.
You'll love his honest, forthright approach to writing, journalism, and even issues of grief and loss refreshing and valuable.
John's books include Bullet in the Chamber, Fake, and others.
Find John on Social Media.
John's writing workshops
And look for John's new podcast, One-to-One with John DeDakis.
Listen to the podcast on these platforms.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Sticher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer
Wednesday Jun 03, 2020
Wednesday Jun 03, 2020
Grant Miller, Author and Educator
Grant Miller, also known as G. Miller, is a teacher in Waterbury, Connecticut and an urban sci-fi author who wrote a four-book series called Nephilim Chronicles; an action-packed story with lots of social commentary on the human condition in his home state of Connecticut and across the United States.
He graduated from Fairfield University, the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, and Chicago-Kent College of Law. He uses his experiences to form his characters and how they view the world.
He is currently working on his next series, The Archangel Series, and will release the first book, Angel of Light, in December 2020.
This is a powerful episode about knowing yourself, following your bliss, and what it's like to be a person of color in today's America.
Miller's Books
Find G. Miller
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noapologies14/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/noapologies14
Listen to the podcast on these channels.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Sticher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer
Wednesday May 27, 2020
Wednesday May 27, 2020
We're living in challenging times. We're facing a pandemic, quarantine, and tough times for friends and family. And frankly, we need to process. And there's no better way to process than to make art. So, I went to the source to get some answers.
This conversation with Rebecca Watford (R) and Helena Dominic (L) was incredible! These two artists and art teachers dropped amazing wisdom on confidence, creativity, and what it takes to be an artist (hint: you already are one). 😉 This episode will teach you how to be an artist right in your house with what you have already handy! They teach students of all ages how to overcome the fear of being wrong in their art. And if they can do that, they can help the rest of us.
Find Helena
https://m.facebook.com/helenadomenicart
https://www.instagram.com/helenadomenicart/
Find Rebecca
https://www.facebook.com/rkwatford
Listen to the podcast on these channels.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Sticher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer