

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

Jul 15, 2022 • 32min
DR. STANLEY ANDRISSE - Endocrinologist Scientist - Author of From Prison Cells to PhD
Growing up in Ferguson, Missouri, Stanley Andrisse began making poor decisions at a very young age. He started selling dope and was arrested for the first time at fourteen years old. By his early twenties, dope dealing had exponentially multiplied, and he found himself sitting in front of a judge facing twenty years to life on drug trafficking charges. The judge sentenced him to ten years in a maximum-security prison.Upon release, and after several rejections, Stanley was accepted into a PhD program. He completed his PhD/MBA simultaneously and became an endocrinologist and impactful leader at Johns Hopkins Medicine, specializing in diabetes research.Dr. Andrisse is Executive Director and Founder of From Prison Cells to PhD, board member on the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network, founder of the Diversity Postdoctoral Alliance, member on several local and national committees aimed at community outreach, youth mentor, motivational speaker, and community activist. His book From Prison Cells to PhD: It is Never Too Late to Do Good recounts his inspiring story.“I kind of thought there was justice in the criminal justice system and that there was care for people, like you matter to me within the system, and in that moment it hit me. There wasn't. And in fact, it's the opposite. In order for the system to work the way it does, it needs to de-humanize the people that it puts in these cages.”www.fromprisoncellstophd.orgFrom Prison Cells to PhD bookAsst. Professor, Howard UniversityPhoto: Wesley Law/STL Magwww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.org

Jul 13, 2022 • 15min
A Life in Music with Grammy/Emmy Award-winning Producer, Engineer, Composer CYNTHIA DANIELS - Highlights
"We all are looking for a little magic in our lives, and I think that's what art and the creative process allow for, above all. In a world that can be either way too predictable and mundane and create tedium, the creative mind, for me, is the curious mind and the mind that's always learning and allowing yourself to make mistakes. To generate from your core, from your soul, and from your experience something new and experimental and something that is unique to yourself.”Cynthia Daniels is a Grammy and Emmy award-winning producer, engineer and composer working extensively in film, television, and music. Her career has led her around the world, initially specializing in orchestral pop from Big Band Jazz to Broadway, and then crossing over into producing records for young and seasoned artists in the rock, country, and folk-rock world. She is owner and chief engineer at The Hamptons first world-class recording studio, MonkMusic. She has hosted or engineered sessions for Chaka Khan, Beyonce, Coldplay, Paul McCartney, Nile Rogers, Alec Baldwin, Julie Andrews, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Billy Porter.www.cynthiadaniels.netMonk Music Radiowww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.org

Jul 13, 2022 • 1h 14min
CYNTHIA DANIELS - Grammy and Emmy Award-winning Producer, Engineer, Composer
Cynthia Daniels is a Grammy and Emmy award-winning producer, engineer and composer working extensively in film, television, and music. Her career has led her around the world, initially specializing in orchestral pop from Big Band Jazz to Broadway, and then crossing over into producing records for young and seasoned artists in the rock, country, and folk-rock world. She is owner and chief engineer at The Hamptons first world-class recording studio, MonkMusic. She has hosted or engineered sessions for Chaka Khan, Beyonce, Coldplay, Paul McCartney, Nile Rogers, Alec Baldwin, Julie Andrews, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Billy Porter."We all are looking for a little magic in our lives, and I think that's what art and the creative process allow for, above all. In a world that can be either way too predictable and mundane and create tedium, the creative mind, for me, is the curious mind and the mind that's always learning and allowing yourself to make mistakes. To generate from your core, from your soul, and from your experience something new and experimental and something that is unique to yourself.”www.cynthiadaniels.netMonk Music Radiowww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.org

Jul 11, 2022 • 8min
How to Make Drinking Water from Sunlight & Air with NEIL GRIMMER - Highlights
"Water insecurity and water scarcity is affecting all people in almost every part of the world. At this point, by 2025, we expect 1.8 billion people to suffer from water scarcity, which means they have no access to clean, safe drinking water within a 30-minute walk of their home.You fast forward to 2050, we expect 6 billion people will have water scarcity. So the rate at which this problem is increasing is far greater than the current infrastructure that has supported water for humans. And that's where innovation and rapid deployment of technology at scale is really essential. And that's what we're in the business to do."Neil Grimmer is Brand President of SOURCE Global, innovator of the SOURCE Hydropanel, a renewable technology that uses the sun to transform water vapor in the air to clean, safe and perfectly mineralized drinking water. The Public Benefit Company’s mission is to bring perfect drinking water to every person, every place, and Neil leads its marketing, consumer packaged goods and last-mile water solutions for community, consumer and commercial customers in more than 50 countries.www.source.coHow it Workswww.source.co/team/neil-grimmerwww.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

Jul 11, 2022 • 41min
Nearly 2 Billion People Suffer from Water Scarcity - Water Solutions for a 1.5 Degree World with NEIL GRIMMER
Neil Grimmer is Brand President of SOURCE Global, innovator of the SOURCE Hydropanel, a renewable technology that uses the sun to transform water vapor in the air to clean, safe and perfectly mineralized drinking water. The Public Benefit Company’s mission is to bring perfect drinking water to every person, every place, and Neil leads its marketing, consumer packaged goods and last-mile water solutions for community, consumer and commercial customers in more than 50 countries."Water insecurity and water scarcity is affecting all people in almost every part of the world. At this point, by 2025, we expect 1.8 billion people to suffer from water scarcity, which means they have no access to clean, safe drinking water within a 30-minute walk of their home.You fast forward to 2050, we expect 6 billion people will have water scarcity. So the rate at which this problem is increasing is far greater than the current infrastructure that has supported water for humans. And that's where innovation and rapid deployment of technology at scale is really essential. And that's what we're in the business to do."www.source.coHow it Workswww.source.co/team/neil-grimmerwww.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

Jul 8, 2022 • 14min
Classical Theatre of Harlem & Shakespeare in the Park with TY JONES & ALLEN GILMORE - Highlights
The Classical Theatre of Harlem provides theatrical productions, educational and literary programs for free or at little cost to Harlem residents, organizations, and all who seek Harlem as a cultural destination. Its productions have received a Drama Desk, OBIE, and New York Times Critics Pick Awards. From July 5th to 29th they bring an Afrofuturistic take on Twelfth Night to Marcus Garvey Park.NAACP and OBIE Award Winner, Ty Jones is Producing Artistic Director responsible for creating the Uptown Shakespeare in the Park series and other community initiatives.Allen Gilmore has played Othello, Iago, and created the role of James Hewlett in The African Company presents Richard The Third at the Public Theater. He makes his CTH debut in Twelfth Night.“I believe that these plays are living arguments and that when you actually read the full text, not cut down versions of them, but the full text, you'll see that Shakespeare was commenting on the ruling class, and for some reason, he found a way to comment on the workings of folks who make decisions in society. Now, I think what's tended to happen over the years is that the ruling class has essentially taken over how we see these plays… We hope that we can move people, and we hope that these are the kind of plays that ignite discourse. I hope that at the end of seeing that piece of art, their hearts begin to beat in sync. I believe all progress begins with a conversation.”www.cthnyc.orgwww.cthnyc.org/dt_team/ty-jones-producing-artistic-director-cth-actorwww.cthnyc.org/twelfth-nightwww.allengilmore.comTwelfth Night photo credit: Richard Terminewww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.org

Jul 8, 2022 • 54min
From Shakespeare to Afrofuturism - TY JONES & ALLEN GILMORE - Classical Theater of Harlem
The Classical Theatre of Harlem provides theatrical productions, educational and literary programs for free or at little cost to Harlem residents, organizations, and all who seek Harlem as a cultural destination. Its productions have received a Drama Desk, OBIE, and New York Times Critics Pick Awards. From July 5th to 29th they bring an Afrofuturistic take on Twelfth Night to Marcus Garvey Park.NAACP and OBIE Award Winner, Ty Jones is Producing Artistic Director responsible for creating the Uptown Shakespeare in the Park series and other community initiatives.Allen Gilmore has played Othello, Iago, and created the role of James Hewlett in The African Company presents Richard The Third at the Public Theater. He makes his CTH debut in Twelfth Night.“I believe that these plays are living arguments and that when you actually read the full text, not cut down versions of them, but the full text, you'll see that Shakespeare was commenting on the ruling class, and for some reason, he found a way to comment on the workings of folks who make decisions in society. Now, I think what's tended to happen over the years is that the ruling class has essentially taken over how we see these plays… We hope that we can move people, and we hope that these are the kind of plays that ignite discourse. I hope that at the end of seeing that piece of art, their hearts begin to beat in sync. I believe all progress begins with a conversation.”www.cthnyc.orgwww.cthnyc.org/dt_team/ty-jones-producing-artistic-director-cth-actorwww.cthnyc.org/twelfth-nightwww.allengilmore.comPhoto credits: Lia Chang, Jill Joneswww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.org

Jul 6, 2022 • 9min
Storytelling, Resilience & Latinx Representation with Emmy-winner Claudia Forestieri & Brigitte Muñoz-Liebowitz - Highlights
"When you immigrate, it's kind of like you're going through adolescence because you're in a new place. You feel weird in your own skin. You're learning new things. Everything is changing. You feel awkward. So that also helped us connect the adult stories to the children's stories.”“To me, America is about coexisting. It's about a million different journeys happening all at once, but really it being the same journey, which is to self-actualization to be seen, to be loved. I know that's not very capitalistic or whatever, but that's what I really see, especially in the immigrant community. It's self-actualization and not just for yourself, but to create that opportunity for your progeny, for your legacy.”"When I think of America, what America is, it's the nation built by immigrants that continues to succeed in large part because of the influx of immigrants to this day. Sometimes I describe the United States as like a club, right? It's a wonderful club, so many people want to be a part of it, and you need new members. And immigrants are like the new members that are kind of like the born again Americans that come here, and they're the ones that believe in America the most because everything is new to them, and they've sacrificed so much to be here. So something that I wish people could garner from this series is the fact that immigrants built this nation, and we continue co-creating this nation with those who aren't immigrants, as well."Claudia Forestieri and Brigitte Muñoz-Liebowitz serve as the creator and showrunner of the Latin-focused comedy series for HBO Max, Gordita Chronicles, making them the first female Latinx showrunner and creator duo. The series is executive produced by Zoe Saldana and Eva Longoria.Inspired by Claudia’s own life experience, the show centers around a Latina reporter looking back on her childhood as a chubby, willful and reluctant Dominican immigrant growing up with her eccentric family in 1980s Miami. The lighthearted series addresses themes around immigration, xenophobia, and body positivity and stars newcomer Olivia Goncalves, Diana Maria Riva, and Juan Javier Cardenas.Gordita Chronicles on HBO Max IMDB Claudia ForestieriBrigitte Muñoz-Liebowitz

Jul 6, 2022 • 52min
CLAUDIA FORESTIERI - BRIGITTE MUÑOZ LIEBOWITZ (Creator - Showrunner) on Gordita Chronicles
Claudia Forestieri and Brigitte Muñoz-Liebowitz serve as the creator and showrunner of the Latin-focused comedy series for HBO Max, Gordita Chronicles, making them the first female Latinx showrunner and creator duo. The series is executive produced by Zoe Saldana and Eva Longoria.Inspired by Claudia’s own life experience, the show centers around a Latina reporter looking back on her childhood as a chubby, willful and reluctant Dominican immigrant growing up with her eccentric family in 1980s Miami. The lighthearted series addresses themes around immigration, xenophobia, and body positivity and stars newcomer Olivia Goncalves, Diana Maria Riva, and Juan Javier Cardenas.Claudia’s previous work for Telemundo earned her five Emmys and a GLAAD Media Award. Brigitte is known for her work on Brooklyn Nine Nine, People of Earth, and Love Life."When you immigrate, it's kind of like you're going through adolescence because you're in a new place. You feel weird in your own skin. You're learning new things. Everything is changing. You feel awkward. So that also helped us connect the adult stories to the children's stories.”Gordita Chronicles on HBO Max IMDB Claudia ForestieriBrigitte Muñoz-Liebowitz

Jul 4, 2022 • 13min
Facing Climate Realities - JONATHAN NEWMAN - Ecologist & VP of Research - Wilfrid Laurier University - Highlights
“Climate change is certainly going to affect biodiversity. Some species will benefit from climate change, but others will not, and we'll have different ecosystems, different biotic communities as a result of this. I think the impacts that are likely are pretty clear, and I think that's a pretty good reason to do all those things we can do without completely destroying our economies and our communities because those things have moral value as well. It's not just the environment that we think is important. We also think humans are important. So doing the things we can do now, do the less painful things first. We should have done them already. We should be now thinking about how to do the harder things.”Jonathan Newman is an ecologist who studies plant–animal interactions in the context of species invasions and climatic change. He is the lead author of two books: Climate Change Biology, and Defending Biodiversity: Environmental Science and Ethics, and co-editor of Grasslands and Climate Change. He is the author of more than 100 other scientific publications.WLU Webpagehttps://wlu.caClimate Change BiologyDefending Biodiversity: Environmental Science and Ethics,Grasslands and Climate Changewww.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info


