

The Creative Process · Arts, Culture & Society: Books, Film, Music, TV, Art, Writing, Creativity, Education, Environment, Theatre, Dance, LGBTQ, Climate Change, Social Justice, Spirituality, Feminism, Tech, Sustainability
Mia Funk
Exploring the fascinating minds of creative people. Conversations with writers, artists and creative thinkers across the Arts and STEM. We discuss their life, work and artistic practice. Winners of Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Pulitzer, Nobel Prize, leaders and public figures share real experiences and offer valuable insights. Notable guests and participating museums and organizations include: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Neil Patrick Harris, Smithsonian, Roxane Gay, Musée Picasso, EARTHDAY-ORG, Neil Gaiman, UNESCO, Joyce Carol Oates, Mark Seliger, Acropolis Museum, Hilary Mantel, Songwriters Hall of Fame, George Saunders, The New Museum, Lemony Snicket, Pritzker Architecture Prize, Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Serpentine Galleries, Joe Mantegna, PETA, Greenpeace, EPA, Morgan Library and Museum, and many others.
The interviews are hosted by founder and creative educator Mia Funk with the participation of students, universities, and collaborators from around the world. These conversations are also part of our traveling exhibition.
The interviews are hosted by founder and creative educator Mia Funk with the participation of students, universities, and collaborators from around the world. These conversations are also part of our traveling exhibition.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 27, 2022 • 11min
Trans Kids: Being Gendered in the Twenty-First Century with TEY MEADOW - Highlights
“So while there is no kind of one size fits all story, there are plenty of times when...kind of like clusters of activity. And some kids don't come out as trans. They come out as wanting to begin a process of exploration around gender, wanting to sort of bend things a little bit or begin to present themselves in slightly different ways without a concrete cross-identification. So it's really a pretty diverse range of phenomena.”Tey Meadow is an assistant professor of sociology at Columbia University, where she teaches courses on gender and sexuality, queer theory, qualitative methodology, law, and the analytics of risk and uncertainty. Meadow’s published work focuses on a broad range of issues, including the emergence of the transgender child as a social category, the international politics of family diversity, the creation and maintenance of legal gender classifications, and newer work on the ways individuals negotiate risk in intimate relationships.Meadow is the author of Trans Kids: Being Gendered in the Twenty-First Century (University of California Press, 2018), and the co-editor of the volume, Other Please Specify: Queer Methods in Sociology (University of California Press, 2018). She has published essays in academic journals like Gender & Society, Politics & Society, Sexualities, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, Transgender Studies Quarterly and multiple edited volumes.· https://teymeadow.com · https://sociology.columbia.edu/content/tey-meadow· www.creativeprocess.info · www.oneplanetpodcast.orgInterlude music: “Di zun vet aruntergeyn”Words by Moishe-Lieb Halpern Melody by Ben YomenPerformed and produced by Beila Ungar

May 27, 2022 • 59min
TEY MEADOW - Author of Trans Kids: Being Gendered in the Twenty-First Century
Tey Meadow is an assistant professor of sociology at Columbia University, where she teaches courses on gender and sexuality, queer theory, qualitative methodology, law, and the analytics of risk and uncertainty. Meadow’s published work focuses on a broad range of issues, including the emergence of the transgender child as a social category, the international politics of family diversity, the creation and maintenance of legal gender classifications, and newer work on the ways individuals negotiate risk in intimate relationships. Meadow is the author of Trans Kids: Being Gendered in the Twenty-First Century (University of California Press, 2018), and the co-editor of the volume, Other Please Specify: Queer Methods in Sociology (University of California Press, 2018). She has published essays in academic journals like Gender & Society, Politics & Society, Sexualities, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, Transgender Studies Quarterly and multiple edited volumes.“So while there is no kind of one size fits all story, there are plenty of times when...kind of like clusters of activity. And some kids don't come out as trans. They come out as wanting to begin a process of exploration around gender, wanting to sort of bend things a little bit or begin to present themselves in slightly different ways without a concrete cross-identification. So it's really a pretty diverse range of phenomena.”· https://teymeadow.com · https://sociology.columbia.edu/content/tey-meadow· www.creativeprocess.info · www.oneplanetpodcast.orgInterlude music: “Di zun vet aruntergeyn”Words by Moishe-Lieb Halpern Melody by Ben YomenPerformed and produced by Beila Ungar

May 24, 2022 • 10min
Digital Dreams: Navigating Art & Technology with PETRA CORTRIGHT - Highlights
“I think to pursue mystery and beauty, these things are a bit subjective, so you can't really tell people exactly what it shouldn't be about. And also I have to preserve these things for myself. I primarily make the work for myself, so if I don't have some questions that are unanswered, even for me, then there's not really an interest to like keep going otherwise. So it's also sort of protection and a preservation mindset that I have about leaving things really open for other people and for myself.”Petra Cortright is a Los Angeles-based digital artist known for her elaborate paintings, videography, and digital media. Crafted from massive digital files on Photoshop, her paintings are often composed of physical and digital images, simulated brushstrokes, and marks that blend both abstract and figurative elements. Petra has exhibited at the Walker Art Center, Whitechapel Gallery, and the Hammer Museum, in addition to solo exhibitions around the world. Her work is featured in permanent collections at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Miami’s Péréz Museum, and the Moderna Museeit in Stockholm–amongst many others.· www.petracortright.com· Show at Societé in Berlin: BALEAF GYS AKADEMIKS MAAMGIC BROKIG: https://societeberlin.com/exhibitions/baleaf-gys-akademiks-maamgic-brokig/· Show at Foxy production at the beginning of this year: https://www.foxyproduction.com/exhibitions/1756Petra CortrightBENGAL TIGER_beurteilungsschreiben Better Homes and Gardens, 2021Digital painting on anodized aluminum149.9 x 215.9 x 3 cm59 1/2 x 85 x 1 1/2 in· www.creativeprocess.info · www.oneplanetpodcast.org

May 24, 2022 • 36min
What is beauty? - PETRA CORTRIGHT on How Technology is Transforming Art
Petra Cortright is a Los Angeles-based digital artist known for her elaborate paintings, videography, and digital media. Crafted from massive digital files on Photoshop, her paintings are often composed of physical and digital images, simulated brushstrokes, and marks that blend both abstract and figurative elements. Petra has exhibited at the Walker Art Center, Whitechapel Gallery, and the Hammer Museum, in addition to solo exhibitions around the world. Her work is featured in permanent collections at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Miami’s Péréz Museum, and the Moderna Museeit in Stockholm–amongst many others. “I think to pursue mystery and beauty, these things are a bit subjective, so you can't really tell people exactly what it shouldn't be about. And also I have to preserve these things for myself. I primarily make the work for myself, so if I don't have some questions that are unanswered, even for me, then there's not really an interest to like keep going otherwise. So it's also sort of protection and a preservation mindset that I have about leaving things really open for other people and for myself.”· www.petracortright.com· Show at Societé in Berlin: BALEAF GYS AKADEMIKS MAAMGIC BROKIG: https://societeberlin.com/exhibitions/baleaf-gys-akademiks-maamgic-brokig/· Show at Foxy production at the beginning of this year: https://www.foxyproduction.com/exhibitions/1756Photo by Stefan Simchowitz· www.creativeprocess.info· www.oneplanetpodcast.org

May 20, 2022 • 12min
Reviving Biodiversity Through Beekeeping - NOAH WILSON-RICH, PhD - Co-Founder & CEO, Best Bees Company - Highlights
“I was originally drawn to bees because they're social creatures. And as humans, I always wanted to know about ourselves and how we can be our healthiest selves and our healthiest society. Bees and wasps, and all of these organisms have been around for so long. Bees especially have been around for 100 million years.”Noah Wilson-Rich, Ph.D., is co-founder and CEO of The Best Bees Company, the largest beekeeping service in the US. He is a 20-time published author and 3-time TEDx speaker. He’s on a mission to improve pollinator health worldwide as a means to support our global food system and support the transformation of urban areas from gray to green. He is the author of The Bee: A Natural History.· Book: The Bee: A Natural History tinyurl.com/beenoah· Their blog offers many resources:https://bestbees.com/blog/· National Pollinator Week June 20 - 26www.pollinator.org Many events all week· Green roof companyColumbia Green Technologies columbia-green.com· Noah-Wilson Rich’s website: https://www.noahwilsonrich.comImage courtesy of The Best Bees Company · www.oneplanetpodcast.org · www.creativeprocess.info

May 20, 2022 • 1h 3min
NOAH WILSON-RICH - Co-founder & CEO - The Best Bees Company - Largest Beekeeping service in the US
Noah Wilson-Rich, Ph.D., is co-founder and CEO of The Best Bees Company, the largest beekeeping service in the US. He is a 20-time published author and 3-time TEDx speaker. He’s on a mission to improve pollinator health worldwide as a means to support our global food system and support the transformation of urban areas from gray to green. He is the author of The Bee: A Natural History.“I was originally drawn to bees because they're social creatures. And as humans, I always wanted to know about ourselves and how we can be our healthiest selves and our healthiest society. Bees and wasps, and all of these organisms have been around for so long. Bees especially have been around for 100 million years.” Book: The Bee: A Natural History tinyurl.com/beenoahTheir blog offers many resources:https://bestbees.com/blog/National Pollinator Week June 20 - 26www.pollinator.org Many events all weekGreen roof companyColumbia Green Technologies columbia-green.com· Noah-Wilson Rich’s website: https://www.noahwilsonrich.com · www.oneplanetpodcast.org · www.creativeprocess.info

May 19, 2022 • 9min
The Feminist Evolution: ELLEN RAPOPORT on HBO Max's MINX - Highlights
"What drew me to the time period of the 70s was the real story of these magazines Playgirl, Viva, Foxy Lady, all the magazines that existed in this period. So it was a natural outgrowth of trying to tell a story that was inspired by, to some extent, real-life events. When I started developing Minx, what struck me about the 70s, in particular, is just how similar it was to our time. It seems like the magazines were covering all the same issues that we're now talking about. Obviously, we all saw with the leaked decision in Roe vs. Wade just how close we are to that time period and how far we haven't come.”Ellen Rapoport is the creator, executive producer, and showrunner of the breakout hit comedy series, Minx, for HBO Max. The series, which aired on the platform on March 17, takes place in 1970s Los Angeles and follows the story of an earnest young feminist who joins forces with a low-rent publisher to create the first erotic magazine for women. In May, it was announced that the series was renewed for a second season. Executive produced by Paul Feig and starring Ophelia Lovibond, Jake Johnson, and Lennon Parham among others, the series became an instant hit for its clever writing, evocative imagery, and its championship of feminist ideals from the 70s era. TV Guide called it “…a bouncy, feel-good show that taps into the elation of creating something new where there was nothing before.”Previously, Ellen co-wrote the screenplay for Paramount’s feature Clifford the Big Red Dog, as well as Netflix's Desperados.· MINX: www.hbomax.com/minx· Ellen Rapoport: www.imdb.com/name/nm0710784/· www.creativeprocess.info · www.oneplanetpodcast.org

May 19, 2022 • 44min
ELLEN RAPOPORT - Creator, Exec. Producer & Showrunner of MINX starring Ophelia Lovibond & Jake Johnson
Ellen Rapoport is the creator, executive producer, and showrunner of the breakout hit comedy series, Minx, for HBO Max. The series, which aired on the platform on March 17, takes place in 1970s Los Angeles and follows the story of an earnest young feminist who joins forces with a low-rent publisher to create the first erotic magazine for women. In May, it was announced that the series was renewed for a second season. Executive produced by Paul Feig and starring Ophelia Lovibond, Jake Johnson, and Lennon Parham among others, the series became an instant hit for its clever writing, evocative imagery, and its championship of feminist ideals from the 70s era. TV Guide called it “…a bouncy, feel-good show that taps into the elation of creating something new where there was nothing before.”Previously, Ellen co-wrote the screenplay for Paramount’s feature Clifford the Big Red Dog, as well as Netflix's Desperados."What drew me to the time period of the 70s was the real story of these magazines Playgirl, Viva, Foxy Lady, all the magazines that existed in this period. So it was a natural outgrowth of trying to tell a story that was inspired by, to some extent, real-life events. When I started developing Minx, what struck me about the 70s, in particular, is just how similar it was to our time. It seems like the magazines were covering all the same issues that we're now talking about. Obviously, we all saw with the leaked decision in Roe vs. Wade just how close we are to that time period and how far we haven't come.”· MINX: www.hbomax.com/minx· Ellen Rapoport: www.imdb.com/name/nm0710784/· www.creativeprocess.info · www.oneplanetpodcast.org

May 18, 2022 • 11min
Saving Species: How Can We Prevent Extinctions? - STUART PIMM - Highlights
“It's a complicated issue. I think a lot of those bird disappearances come from the fact that we have massively intensified our agriculture. Large areas of North America and Europe are now under intense agriculture. They are sprayed with a whole variety of pesticides, which I think is also responsible for the fact that many insects have disappeared, so species that depend on farmland have clearly declined dramatically, but it isn't all birds and there is a piece of this complicated story that involves water birds. Herons and egrets and ducks. Those species both in North America and Europe, are now much more common than they were 30, or 40 years ago. That comes from active conservation of protecting wetlands, making sure we don't shoot our wetland birds. So it’s not all doom and gloom. There are some success stories. There are many things we can do. I think 50 years ago, there were only something like 300 bald eagles in the lower 48 states. Bald eagles are now nesting in every state apart from Hawaii. Our conservation efforts have done a great job.”Stuart Pimm is a world leader in the study of present-day extinctions and what can be done to prevent them. His research covers the reasons why species become extinct, how fast they do so, the global patterns of habitat loss and species extinction and, importantly, the management consequences of this research. Pimm received his BSc degree from Oxford University in 1971 and his Ph.D. from New Mexico State University in 1974. Pimm is the author of over 350 scientific papers and five books. His commitmnt to the interface between science and policy has led to his testimony to both House and Senate Committees on the re-authorization of the Endangered Species Act. In 2019, he won the International Cosmos Prize, which recognised his founding and directing Saving Nature, a non-profit that uses donations for carbon emissions offsets to fund local conservation groups in areas of exceptional tropical biodiversity to restore their degraded lands. · https://nicholas.duke.edu/people/faculty/pimm· Saving Nature: Rescue endangered habitats and vulnerable communities from environmental destruction: https://savingnature.com· Connect with Nature - Share your Observations of the Natural World www.inaturalist.org· NatGeo’s Big Cats Initiative: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/big-cats-initiative/· The World According to Pimm: A https://www.amazon.com/Scientist-Audits-Earth-Stuart-Pimm/dp/0813535409/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3A29YJYQ1JPOM&keywords=The+World+According+to+Pimm&qid=1652772158&sprefix=the+world+according+to+pimm%2Caps%2C130&sr=8-1 · www.oneplanetpodcast.org · www.creativeprocess.info

May 18, 2022 • 39min
STUART PIMM - Global Leader in the Study of Present-Day Extinctions & Biodiversity - Founder/Director of Saving Nature
Stuart Pimm is a world leader in the study of present-day extinctions and what can be done to prevent them. His research covers the reasons why species become extinct, how fast they do so, the global patterns of habitat loss and species extinction and, importantly, the management consequences of this research. Pimm received his BSc degree from Oxford University in 1971 and his Ph.D. from New Mexico State University in 1974. Pimm is the author of over 350 scientific papers and five books. He is one of the most highly cited environmental scientists. Pimm wrote the highly acclaimed assessment of the human impact to the planet: The World According to Pimm: a Scientist Audits the Earth in 2001. His commitment to the interface between science and policy has led to his testimony to both House and Senate Committees on the re-authorization of the Endangered Species Act. He was worked and taught in Africa for nearly 30 years on elephants, most recently lions — through National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative — but always on topics that relate to the conservation of wildlife and the ecosystems on which they depend. Other research areas include the Everglades of Florida and tropical forests in South America, especially the Atlantic Coast forest of Brazil and the northern Andes — two of the world's "hotspots" for threatened species. His international honours include the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (2010), the Dr. A.H. Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (2006), the Society for Conservation Biology’s Edward T. LaRoe III Memorial Award (2006), and the Marsh Award for Conservation Biology, from the Marsh Christian Trust (awarded by the Zoological Society of London in 2004). Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, awarded him the William Proctor Prize for Scientific Achievement in 2007. In 2019, he won the International Cosmos Prize, which recognised his founding and directing Saving Nature, www.savingnature.org, a non-profit that uses donations for carbon emissions offsets to fund local conservation groups in areas of exceptional tropical biodiversity to restore their degraded lands. “It's a complicated issue. I think a lot of those bird disappearances come from the fact that we have massively intensified our agriculture. Large areas of North America and Europe are now under intense agriculture. They are sprayed with a whole variety of pesticides, which I think is also responsible for the fact that many insects have disappeared, so species that depend on farmland have clearly declined dramatically, but it isn't all birds and there is a piece of this complicated story that involves water birds. Herons and egrets and ducks. Those species both in North America and Europe, are now much more common than they were 30, or 40 years ago. That comes from active conservation of protecting wetlands, making sure we don't shoot our wetland birds. So it’s not all doom and gloom. There are some success stories. There are many things we can do. I think 50 years ago, there were only something like 300 bald eagles in the lower 48 states. Bald eagles are now nesting in every state apart from Hawaii. Our conservation efforts have done a great job.”· https://nicholas.duke.edu/people/faculty/pimm· https://savingnature.com·