Your Creative Mind
Behind every book, play, and song is a person juggling self-doubt, deadlines, and the drive to create. On Your Creative Mind, Izolda Trakhtenberg talks with writers, artists, musicians, and creative professionals about how they make their work and how they manage the stress and anxiety that often come with creating.
Through candid interviews and practical insights, you’ll learn storytelling techniques, mindfulness practices for creative professionals, and strategies for overcoming perfectionism in writing and art. Whether you’re searching for inspiration, tools to strengthen your resilience, or fresh ideas for balancing creativity and mental health, this podcast is your guide to creating with courage, clarity, and joy.
Episodes

Wednesday Aug 26, 2020
Wednesday Aug 26, 2020
Marjorie Alexander
Marjorie Alexander is a podcaster, coach, and budding social entrepreneur. She was first thrust into storytelling during her master's degree when a lack of high-quality environmental podcasts sparked the launch of A Sustainable Mind, where she interviewed environmental changemakers across the globe as her thesis project.
Marjorie has recently embarked on her second podcast journey with Queer & Woo, a collection of personal stories and conversations with amazing queer individuals about mental health, self-care and personal development.
Marjorie has been named a Top 40 LGBT Under 40 by Business Equality Magazine and looks forward to working more one-on-one with people in the queer community.
As a special bonus, you can get a free Podcast with Purpose or Personal Empowerment (for queer or questioning individuals only) coaching session with Marjorie. Head here to claim yours.
http://marjoriealexander.com/izolda
Queer & Woo:
https://www.instagram.com/queerandwoo/
A Sustainable Mind:
https://www.instagram.com/asustainablemind/
https://twitter.com/SustainableMind
https://www.facebook.com/asustainablemind/
Personal:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjorieralexander/
Website
marjoriealexander.com

Wednesday Aug 19, 2020
Wednesday Aug 19, 2020
Tee Morris on Writing, Podcasting, Leadership, and Some of the Latest Social Media Platforms You Need to Know About.
Tee Morris has been writing science fiction, fantasy, horror, and non-fiction for over a decade. His first novel, MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana, became the first novel to be podcast in its entirety, ushering in a new age for authors — podcasting.
He went on with Evo Terra to write Podcasting for Dummies (as well as the following editions alongside Chuck Tomasi). In 2011, Tee returned to fiction with the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series, penned with his wife, Pip Ballantine. And somewhere in the middle of all this, Tee and Pip are releasing the second edition of Social Media for Writers.
Tee and Pip also host The Shared Desk, a podcast covering collaboration and other aspects of a writer’s lifestyle. He enjoys a writer’s life in Virginia alongside Pip, his daughter, and three cats. Explore the works of Tee Morris, and his occasional geek rants, at TeeMorris.com.
In addition to the above, Tee also wrote Twitch for Dummies and discord for Dummies.
Connect with Tee
http://www.twitch.tv/theteemonster
http://www.twitter.com/teemonster
http://www.instagram.com/theteemonster
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorTeeMorris
http://www.theshareddesk.com
http://www.happyhourfromthetower.com
http://ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com
http://www.teemorris.com

Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
Joey Williams
Joey Williams is a grammy-award winning vocalist and guitarist. Since the early 1990s, he’s been part of the legendary gospel band, the Blind Boys of Alabama. He’s also played in other bands along the way like with Robert Randolph and the Family Band. Additionally, he’s a sought after R&B session musician who plays with many of the world’s other great musicians.
And I was lucky enough to meet him and his lovely wife Monica at the inaugural show of the Sophisticated Psychos Experience. So, I’m honored to call him a new friend as well as one of the great guitarists it’s my pleasure to know.
Find Joey on Social Media
https://twitter.com/jwill6string
https://www.instagram.com/joewill17/

Wednesday Aug 05, 2020
Wednesday Aug 05, 2020
Christina Helena - TEDx Speaker, Coach, Writer and Performer on How to Thrive, Shine, and Fall in Love Your Scars
Christina Helena is a speaker, writer/performer and life coach based in New York City. As one of the youngest pancreatic cancer survivors with a thirteen-inch scar across her abdomen, she is redefining and modernizing the stigma behind trauma and pain with one simple thought: My Scar is Sexy®. Christina’s story is currently in development as an off-Broadway, autobiographical solo show entitled SCAR. Most recently, Goalcast featured Christina’s talk about self-love and self-responsibility. Her TEDx talk is about the perceived fear of mortality humans have as a substitution for self-responsibility for resolution of one’s pain. Her bi-weekly blog My Scar is Sexy®, is about the human experience. Christina is a lover of scuba diving and white water rafting around the world.
Find Christina
Website: www.ChristinaHelena.com
Instagram: @iamchristinahelena - https://www.instagram.com/iamchristinahelena/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinahelena/Twitter: https://twitter.com/christinahelena/
Christina's TEDx talk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c4iavIeKp4&feature=emb_logo
Life Coaching.
"My Scar is Sexy" was featured on Goalcast. https://www.facebook.com/goalcast/videos/2309810302432260/

Wednesday Jul 29, 2020
Wednesday Jul 29, 2020
Al Petteway
A Grammy Award winning recording artist and performer, Al Petteway has played nearly every type of popular, folk and classical music. Though his primary instrument has always been the guitar, he has also studied lute, string bass, percussion and music composition. His compositions for acoustic fingerstyle guitar are strongly influenced by his love of Celtic music and his own roots in folk, rock and blues. His recordings, music books, and instructional videos have helped to win him international acclaim and appearances on National Radio and Television Programs.
Al's music has also been used in soundtracks for independent films including the Ken Burns' documentaries "Mark Twain", the Emmy Award-winning "The National Parks - America's Greatest Idea" , "Baseball - The Tenth Inning," "The Dust Bowl," and most recently"The Roosevelts." Al was awarded FORTY FIVE"Wammies" by the Washington Area Music Association including the top honors of "ARTIST OF THE YEAR" and "MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR". He was the recipient of two Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Awards for Music Composition and has performed at the Vice President's House and The White House. His playing is featured on more than sixty recordings by some of the World's best-known Folk and Celtic musicians.
In 2005, he was voted one of the Top Fifty Acoustic Guitarists of all Time by the readers of Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and in 2008 he won Silver and Bronze medals in the magazine's Player's Choice Awards. His CD "Caledon Wood" was voted one of the "Essential Albums of the Past Twenty Years" in Acoustic Guitar Magazine's 20th-anniversary issue and his 2012 release "It's Only the Blues" was included on two of the Acoustic Guitar Magazine's Editor's "Top Ten Essential Albums of 2012" lists. In 2014 and 2015, he released two more solo albums "Mountain Guitar" and "Dream Guitars, Vol. II." His most recent album "The Collector's Passion" was recorded in two sessions and includes more of his solo guitar compositions than any previous release. In addition to the numerous music camps, guitar festivals, concerts, and workshops he works with, Al records acoustic projects and teaches private lessons in his home studio in Fairview, NC.
Social Media
Www.alandamy.com/al.html
https://www.instagram.com/alpetteway/
Amy White's Critter Cams: YouTube.com/FairviewCritterCams
Hammock Bears
HAMMOCK BEARS VIDEO 1https://youtu.be/puXdsdJUOk0
BEAR CUBS CLIMB THE WISTERIA ARBOR
https://youtu.be/eLMWwSHXYSA
BIG BUTT MOMMA BEAR at the SALAD BAR and the Runaway Cubs
https://youtu.be/BPfeP4iJITo
BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME:
THE TALE OF TURKEY TOM and the ELUSIVE HENS
https://youtu.be/1eiP0S6Gsos

Tuesday Jul 21, 2020
Tuesday Jul 21, 2020
Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author, JC Andrijeski.
She is the author of many books (and numerous short stories) in the science fiction, paranormal, cyberpunk-like and urban fantasy genres. Many of her books are parts of series like the Quentin Black psychic detective books or the latest Nick Tanaka Vampire detective books. Her books are sexy, gritty, romantic, and often dystopian. In a word, I find her books page-turners. You want to know what happens next and the sex and romance sizzle.
JC's website: https://www.jcandrijeski.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150834498264133/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jcandrijeski/

Wednesday Jul 15, 2020
Wednesday Jul 15, 2020
NPR Books Editor, Petra Mayer
Petra Mayer is an editor (and the resident nerd) at NPR Books, focusing on fiction, and particularly genre fiction. She brings to the job passion, speed-reading skills, and a truly impressive collection of Doctor Who doodads. You can also hear her on the air and on the occasional episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour.
Previously, she was an associate producer and director for All Things Considered on the weekends. She handled all of the show's books coverage, and she was also the person to ask if you wanted to know how much snow falls outside NPR's Washington headquarters on a Saturday, how to belly dance, or what pro wrestling looks like up close and personal.
Mayer originally came to NPR as an engineering assistant in 1994, while still attending Amherst College. After three years of spending summers honing her soldering skills in the maintenance shop, she made the jump to Boston's WBUR as a newswriter in 1997. Mayer returned to NPR in 2000 after a roundabout journey that included a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a two-year stint as an audio archivist and producer at the Prague headquarters of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She still knows how to solder.
Useful Links
The most recent Concierge, which links to all the past years:
https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2019
A couple of summer polls:
https://www.npr.org/series/729710522/summer-reader-poll-2019-funny-books and
https://www.npr.org/series/617220176/summer-reader-poll-2018-horror
Life Kit/How To Write A Book:
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/27/845797464/if-youve-always-wanted-to-write-a-book-here-s-how
Reading the Game: https://www.npr.org/series/510664099/reading-the-game
NK Jemisin on worldbuilding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6xyFQhbsjQ or find the PDF here: http://nkjemisin.com/2015/08/worldbuilding-101/

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.







