Creativity in Captivity

An award-winning screenwriter, director, and author who has worked in film, television, and comic books for over 30 years. His book on story structure Invisible Ink has been translated into several languages and is required reading for interns at Pixar Animation Studios.  He is also the author of The Golden Theme, Ink Spots, and Old Souls. As a story consultant Brian has taught story construction and consulted for Disney Feature Animation, Cirque Du Soleil, Amazon, Ford Motor Company, Sony Interactive, Future of Storytelling, and Microsoft. McDonald is a partner and the Chief Storyteller at Belief Agency in Seattle, Washington where he hosts the podcast You Are a Storyteller. 

As an artist, songwriter & producer Maia is active in the music business. Her songs have been recorded by Bonnie Raitt, The Chicks, Trisha Yearwood, Keb’ Mo’, Cher, Edwin McCain, Art Garfunkel, and Lisa Loeb. She has appeared on NPR's All Things Considered, CBS Early Morning, and The Today Show. Maia has been writing for Songwriting with Soldiers since 2017. She wrote and sings the theme song for the Creativity in Captivity podcast. She has recorded eight solos records and recently released Mercy Rising, her boldest, most confessional album to date. She shares with Pat her experience of writing for Songwriting with Soldiers and reveals the inspiration behind the lyrics of her song “Death by Perfection.”

 A Mid-century pop culture expert who is a performer, author of coffee table books, and collector celebrating classic and kitschy American life and style. Charles has appeared on Jay Leno’s Garage, Martha Stewart, Conan, and Queen Latifah Show; also serving as a judge on Cake Wars Christmas and Nailed It, as well as a vintage appraiser on Storage Wars.  He is known for his spirited live slide shows, classic car JOYRIDE videos, and fun “field trip” tours. Join us to see why the New York Times refers to Charles Phoenix as “The King of Retro” and listen as he shares the secret to making the “The Mythical Food of the Gods” Ambrosia.  

This Musical Pioneer has beamed her music into space, been appointed a United Nations Women role model for Innovation, and held an acclaimed solo exhibition of her ‘world first’ album designs at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Wired Magazine named Beatie one of the “22 People Changing The World.”  She is at the forefront of delivering new formats for music that bridge the physical and the digital, including a 3D palm top theater, a wearable record jacket made from fabric woven with Wolfe’s music embedded in it, tailored by British style-maker Mr. Fish who created custom clothing for David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, and The Rolling Stones. In this episode, she reminds us of the importance of a tangible experience with music to imprint memories on the brain and the powerful impact that working with people living with dementia is having on her work. Beatie Wolfe is sure to inspire you and offer new ways to look at the world around you and listen to life on a far deeper level. 

An artist and iconic illustrator of pin-up art whose paintings appeared in Playboy and dominated the scene in periodicals, paperbacks, advertising, and movie posters. Olivia is known for painting burlesque goddesses, women warriors, fashion & fantasy.  She brings to life such powerful screen sirens as Bettie Page, Cat Woman, Morticia Adams, and Wonder Woman.  Her artwork has been shown in galleries throughout the United States and Japan. She and her partner Joel started the O Card Company to publish Olivia’s images as greeting cards and they created Ozone Productions to license her artwork worldwide.  In this episode, she talks about how illustrating erotic fantasies for men’s magazines allowed her to make ends meet and learning the discipline of how to sit down and do the work rather than waiting for inspiration. Check out her popular page on Instagram: @oliviapinupart Website: eOlivia.com

The Author of The War of Art, The Artist Journey, Do The Work, Turning Pro, The Legend of Bagger Vance, Gates of Fire, Tides of War, The Afghan Campaign, Killing Rommel, Last of The Amazons, and A Man at Arms. In addition to historical fiction and inspiring non-fiction books, Steven also wrote the screenplays for King Kong Lives, Above The Law, Feejack, and Joshua Tree/ Army of One. In this episode, he shares tips for avoiding “The Resistance” which plagues us all, and gives advice on how to maintain a healthy relationship with the muse. If you are an aspiring writer this is a great voice to hear talk about the creative process. 

An influential artist in the modern resurgence of rock/pop poster art as well as serigraph and fine art production. Rogers has designed poster imagery for musical powerhouses such as Queens Of The Stone Age, Neil Young, Tool, Deftones, Radiohead, Tori Amos, David Bowie, Morrissey, The Cure, and Public Enemy.  He is also a noted designer in the field of limited-edition vinyl art figures with releases through Strangeco, Jamungo and Kidrobot. His work is included in the permanent collections at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In this episode, he shares the ins and outs of being a visual artist and reveals the way that he infects his artwork with words and ideas by continuously crafting images that push boundaries, whether social, cultural, or aesthetic. He is riding high on the top shelf of low-brow art. 

A versatile actor and director best known for his role as George Costanza on NBC’s Seinfeld for which he was nominated for seven consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globes. He is also recognized for his work in the films Pretty Woman, Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the title character in the animated series Duckman. Jason has guest-starred on many TV shows including Dream On, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Alexander is an accomplished singer and dancer that has graced the boards of Broadway in Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, Kander & Ebb’s The Rink, Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound, and Jerome Robbins’ Broadway for which he won both a Tony Award and a Grammy Award. He appeared with Martin Short in the Los Angeles production of Mel Brooks’s The Producers. He served as the artistic director of Reprise! Broadway's Best in Los Angeles, where he has directed several musicals.In this episode Jason lets us in on the advice he gave Larry David about the rigors and routine of being in a Broadway show and he tells us about the creative and therapeutic sensation of working in ceramics that quiets his mind.

A dynamic musical artist and film composer that takes cello to new heights with her visionary style of creating songs and inspiring young musicians through her mentoring, film scoring, and education in the arts. Jenn collaborates with double platinum billboard artist B.o.B.; Michael Malarkey of the hit TV series Vampire Diaries; and filmmaker, Chris Anthony Hamilton on the original music for his film Body and Son. In this episode of Creativity in Captivity she explains the art of looping when creating a film score and treats us to an impromptu concert by accepting a spontaneous cello challenge from Pat to underscore random scenes that he tosses out on the fly. Jenn's Website and subscribe to her Patreon

Iconic voice actor and filmmaker Frank Oz discusses the importance of honesty in comedy and storytelling, highlighting his collaborations with fellow creatives. He shares insights on achieving perfect lip sync and the dedication behind the scenes. The podcast also delves into playful banter, reflections on fame, and the power of embracing authenticity in performance.