A Creative Approach Podcast

Lina Fat is VP of Culinary Research and Development for Fat Family Restaurant Group, based in Sacramento, CA. Her first dream was to be a pharmacist, which she fulfilled when she earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of California-San Francisco in 1964, where she met and married her husband, Kenneth.

Her father-in-law, the late Frank Fat, founded the landmark Sacramento restaurant, Frank Fat's in 1939, where many of the state's most influential figures have dined for more than 70 years. Lina joined the restaurant business when the second restaurant, China Camp, opened in 1974. In 1976, Fat City Bar & Grill was opened, and since 2000, the Fat family has opened Fat's Asia Bistro in Roseville and in Folsom.

Lina traveled the world to train under master chefs in Switzerland, France, and Italy, and at the Cordon Bleu in San Francisco and the Culinary Institute of America in New York. She has spent a lifetime discovering new culinary secrets for what is now her specialty---combining flavors from around the globe!

She is a favorite featured guest on local Sacramento TV as well as authoring The Lina Fat Cookbook: Recipes from the Fat Family Restaurants. Lina and the Fat restaurants have received numerous awards over the years, and she has been actively involved in many community boards and organizations. Proving that her creative interests extend far beyond the kitchen, in 2007 she launched the Sacramento World Music and Dance Festival, which showcases the cultural diversity of the region through the presentation of ethnic dance from around the world by local talent. Lina is a true pioneer who has never been afraid to take on one more challenge in her creative and inspiring life.

Show Highlights:

• Lina's semi-retired life now after over 40 years in the restaurant business, helping run 4 restaurants and a catering business
• The four Fat restaurants serving American Chinese food and receiving the James Beard Award a few years ago for Frank Fat's Restaurant started in 1939 by her father-in-law
• The funny story of how the famous Banana Cream Pie came to the menu in the early days
• Lina's beginning as a pharmacist and then a stay-at-home mom who started cooking and exploring her creativity
• How she advised her father-in-law about opening a restaurant commemorating Chinese immigrants and then started writing and testing recipes
• How Lina took on the new job of running the kitchen and managing the staff, bringing in new and innovative ideas and techniques
• Similarities between work as a pharmacist and a chef and how Lina applied some of the same principles to her new career
• The story of the historic bar and their branching into "bar food" at Fat City Bar & Grill
• How Lina took on the new challenge as a restaurant manager
• Why a restaurant turns out to be a good training ground for learning life skills
• Why she made her children and other young people start out as dishwashers in the restaurant
• How she branched out into writing a cookbook
• How Lina became a local TV chef---way before TV chefs were "a thing"
• When Emeril Lagasse used one of her recipes on his famous show
• Creativity in translating the Spanish tapas concept into dim sum
• Only one of her children has followed her into the restaurant business and two have followed their father into dentistry
• Lina's advice to those who want to be chefs---Develop your palate!
• Trends that Lina sees in the modern restaurant business
• Lina's love for small farmers' markets and local CA resources
• Lina's story of her flourless chocolate cake mishap early in her marriage and how she took the failure as a challenge
• Lina's thoughts on creativity: "Don't create just to create. Like food, creativity should have a purpose and a balance. Start with the basics first."

Resources:

The Lina Fat Cookbook: Recipes from the Fat Family Restaurants, by Lina Fat

Have recent celebrity suicides left you with a deep sadness and wonderment at what it takes to go that far into depression? Those are common thoughts when we hear the news that someone was so overwhelmed by life's difficulties that suicide seemed the only answer. The good news is that hope is available for anyone who needs it, and life is full of possibilities for connection and support---and yes, creativity that brings joy, mindfulness, satisfaction, and peace.

Dr. Caroline Giroux is a psychiatrist who migrated from Canada and is now Associate Professor at UC Davis. Through narrative approaches, she has the privilege to witness her patients' growth and be inspired by their resilience. Apart from addressing the impact of traumatic experiences throughout the lifespan, she is an educator, an academic writer, an essayist, and a poet. She channels her creativity by designing teaching tools such as courses on mood disorders for medical students and a monthly newsletter for residents She is the mother of three spirited sons and has no shortage of opportunities to express her creativity through kids' stories and various family projects.

Caroline is a creative physician who writes professionally and personally. She shares some of her poetry and essays in Sierra Sacramento Valley Medicine, the official journal of the medical society by the same name. This lifestyle journal promotes the history, art, and science of medicine, the protection of public health, and the well-being of patients and their caregivers. I have the privilege of serving on the editorial committee of the journal with Caroline and am happy to share this conversation with you.

Show HIghlights:

• How Caroline came to psychiatry, knowing even in high school that she wanted a medical field that allowed her to use her creativity and writing
• How she wanted to give hope to people through their deep sorrows
• How her parents inspired her to want to work in helping others and find gratification in service
• The difference in the college education systems in Canada and the US
• Why she pursued a physical therapy degree first and then went on to medical school, not knowing the reintegration of body and mind in medicine would make her PT "detour" worthwhile and very helpful
• The creatives in her family: a great uncle who was a priest, poet, and writer; and her aunt who is a painter and poet
• How depression and suicide rates have risen over 30% in the past 20 years and how creative people are keenly affected
• The struggle to reconcile our image of ourselves with what others think of us
• How some celebrities are disconnected from their families and struggle with addiction and substance abuse
• Alienation from others and self is a common theme and an inability to transform from a difficult circumstance
• Healing and empowerment come when people are willing to transform from fear, shame, and hopelessness
• How even Robin Williams, "the king of laughter," had problems and a severe mental illness that people weren't aware of
• What we can learn about attempted suicide to affect policies about gun violence
• When people reach a high-stress situation and are overwhelmed, if they don't have a coping mechanism, but have alcoholism and available guns---a ticking time bomb is a result
• Why we need to talk about suicide and deepen our understanding
• 12-25% of people experience depression, with men expressing it more openly but women being more willing to seek help
• The need is to expand coping skills to deal with stressors more effectively now and later in life
• The need for a "sabbatical of the soul" and respite to fight against overwhelming feelings
• There are many resources available to treat substance abuse and depression
• How religious affiliations can help because of the sense of community and the ritual practices that induce mindfulness
• How the celebrity lifestyle can take away the joy and mindfulness we gain from simple, daily, repetitive activities
• Why self-care is extremely vital for doctors and healthcare workers, in the form of exercise, mindfulness, yoga, and socialization activities
• Caroline's thoughts on creativity: "We all have an innate potential for creativity, even those who might not think they are creative. We access this creativity for problem-solving, clarity, and mindfulness. Find your creative path."

Resources:

National Suicide Prevention Line 1-800-273-8255

Our guest today is the photographer, Alison Brown. I learned of Alison through the Women's Environmental Network of the San Francisco Bay area. I saw her work online, and I knew I had to have her on the show. Alison is an international photographer that discovered her passion for photography nearly ten years ago after embarking on her first backpacking trip through Southeast Asia in 2008. She's been blessed to visit the countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar (Burma), Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Turkey, France, Israel, Spain, Portugal, United States, Canada, and Mexico. In addition to her photography, she is also a Communications Consultant and Sustainability Specialist. Her intention is to use her photographs to inspire people to care more deeply about the natural environment and conservation. Alison views photography as much more than a profession and shares her creative approach to photography in this episode.

More creativity in this episode:

• Learn how photography inspires Alison.
• Why did Alison choose to travel Southeast Asia after graduating college?
• Alison shares her passion for her sustainability work.
• Discover how Alison bridges her sustainability work with her photography.
• Alison describes her experiences while living in Australia.
• Alison shares tidbits from her younger years, and how her focused shifted to what it is today.
• Inspiration for creativity may come in different forms. Alison shares when she does her best work.
• Encouragement for using your personal creativity.
• Encouragement to be conservative with natural resources.

Resources:

Alison Brown Photography

E-mail: [email protected]

Alison's blog is Alison Brown Photography

You can discover more about Alison on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

It is always a joy to see creativity bloom where you least expect it. I am speaking with student physician Vidya Viswanathan today, the founder of Doctors Who Create. Vidya and her team are on a mission to change the culture of medicine by fostering creativity. It is such a delight to see colleagues in medicine with an interest in creativity.

Vidya had the chance not just to explore how creativity plays an important role in medicine but also how her experiences of travel and foreign language have shaped her career as well. There is so much beauty in hearing a story shared well, and that is what is in store for you with Vidya today! Her perspectives are very unlike any we have had on the show so far, but her stories still have a little something for everyone. I am excited for you to join us as we explore Vidya's journey to creativity and culture.

More Creativity in this Episode:

• Vidya shares her roundabout path to medicine and her biggest cultural influences.
• Medicine needs the influence of creativity too!
• Vidya wants to highlight the profiles of medical professionals who use creativity.
• Vidya shares what gave her blog some focus.
• The broader appeal of Doctors Who Create.
• Vidya's parents encouraged her to read and write and express herself through words.
• Taking Chinese played an important role in Vidya's creativity.
• Dive into some of Vidya's best experiences while traveling in China.
• Focus on the process, not the result.

Resources:

Doctors Who Create

Do you know that May 5th is International (aka National) Scrapbook Day? By now, my regular listeners all know that I'm a really enthusiastic scrapbooker, and at the moment, I am busy creating a kit to take with me to Dixon, California, to celebrate this special tribute to scrapbooking. Although I have done more digital pages lately, I still love to take out my supplies and get lost in the world of cutting and gluing. In fact, I love getting lost in the whole dimension of paper storytelling! May 5th is a day to celebrate other things, too. It's Kentucky Derby Day, Cinco de Mayo, Burgundy Day (the color-not the wine), Comic Book Day, Hoagie Day, and even National Seeing Monarch Butterfly Day, to only mention a few! Most importantly, may 5th is Silence the Shame Day. Mental illness is far too common, and it's very treatable! So let's all speak out, advocate for more resources, and encourage those in need of help to seek it. What did you celebrate May 5th? I'd love to know! I'd also really love to know if you found a creative outlet for telling your story.

I'm really looking forward to today's show with my noteworthy guest, Nancy Nally. Nancy is both a columnist and a journalist. Alliteration in her name could be one reason why Nancy Nally is known, but she is also known for her nose for news. On today's show, we discover the latest trends in colors, papers, and motifs, from here and abroad. We also learn about the job of a craft journalist, and about how Nancy found her creative approach. I first met Nancy through the craft world, and more specifically, via events of the AFCI (Association for Creative Industries), formerly known as The Craft and Hobby Association. Nancy is no stranger to podcasting and helped host The Paper-Clipping Roundtable, while it was an active broadcast. Join me today, and listen as we take a peek at Nancy's creative approach, and as we also celebrate creative crafts!

Show Highlights:

• Nancy discusses her career and blog.
• The three craft industry-related websites that Nancy's company owns-Scrapbook Update, Craft Critique, and the recently launched Chasing Dust Bunnies.
• The kinds of crafts on which Nancy focuses.
• Some of the really hot crafts, along with craft comebacks.
• The way that trends filter down into the crafts industry.
• The ways trends here differ from European trends.
• The latest trends in colors.
• Chalk paints are currently a big craze in Europe.
• The DIY trend is going strong in Europe, and there is much to facilitate this!
• Metallic finishes are very popular.
• How to rubber and wood-mounted stamps fit in?
• Nancy's purpose-driven crafting.
• How curiosity drives creativity.
• What creativity means to Nancy.

Links:

Nancy's websites: Scrapbook Update

Craft Critique

Chasing Dust Bunnies

Please join our Creative Approach Facebook Page, and the Creative Approach Facebook Group, too!

The creative process of storytelling is both fascinating and inspiring. The stories we share and the ones we create play such a huge role in how we capture memories and shape the future. No one understands this better than Patricia (or Patty) Newman. Patty has a passion for telling stories, but her passion doesn't stop there! I am excited for you to hear all of her thoughts on creativity!

Patricia Newman is the author of the Sibert Honor-winning Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem as well as Zoo Scientists to the Rescue; Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and Neema's Reason to Smile. With her books, she hopes to empower kids and to share stories about people who create change around the world. Patty is our first children's author on the podcast, and her stories about social justice, careers, and the wide world around us are just fabulous. It is clear that Patty has the heart to use her creative gifts to empower our future scientists, business owners, and world leaders. We have so much to learn from her in today's episode!

More creativity in this episode:

• Patty shares her unique point of view on children's stories.
• Why Patty tends towards environmental themes in her books.
• The journey behind Neema's story.
• Children are often very perceptive when it comes to more difficult topics.
• Patty shares stories of her own childhood.
• Making the leap from reading to writing is big but natural.
• Patty wants to teach children to connect what they have learned to the rest of the world.
• The main reasons why Patty picks her stories.
• We need to share with our children that their voices matter.
• It is easy to see creativity in fiction, but nonfiction requires it too!

Resources:

Patricia Newman

Books are available online!

Reason 2 Smile

It's always so tempting to travel! When my husband called me over the other day to check out a fantastic tour of Ireland that he found while looking at his tablet, it reminded me that I had not yet continued with the tale that I'd started in the podcast a while back, about the wonderful adventure we had last year, while touring around Great Britain and Ireland. So today I continue my story and I'm also going to let you listen in to a fun interview that I recorded on my trip, where I ask a host manager of a hotel for some information about Irish Coffee. Listen in- I really hope that you will enjoy the interview!

I'm occasionally a little shy, which I know is an odd admission for a podcaster, but on certain occasions, like trips abroad, it does tend to happen. Chatting to the local residents does tend to help me get over it, and this is one of the reasons that I really recommend that everyone takes some time to get to know the local people when traveling. In my experience, even taking the time for a brief chat can often prove to be the best part of an adventure! Listen in today to find out more about our tour of Great Britain and Ireland.

Show Highlights:

• Taking tours can be very demanding, so be sure to leave on time and try to be the first ones there at any major attraction.
• Some of the highlights of London.
• Traveling to Windsor Station- a grand, English, industrial revolution, Victorian-style building, much of which is now a tourist mall.
• Exploring the grounds of Windsor Castle.
• About Canterbury Cathedral and the Black Prince.
• The pastoral countryside was dotted with buildings with names like 'The Croft' and 'The Old Mill'.
• The ancient castles and grand stone churches are reminders of Great Britain's long and fascinating history.
• Touring the Royal Pavillion in Brighton.
• Gaining a sense of the magic of Stonehenge.
• Traveling in Cornwall.
• The Priory of Saint Ives in Cornwall.
• Taking a cruise up Plymouth Sound to Plymouth.
• Bath- often the setting for titillating tales of Regency society.
• Wales- a land of low mountains, tidy farms and signs with unpronounceable names.
• Crossing St George's Channel to green, green Ireland.
• The history of Irish Coffee, a recipe to make it- and even how to drink it!

Art is not just for the artist! My guest today, Jen Cushman, is an artist, a crafter, and a teacher who embraces that mentality wholeheartedly. Jen works best in multimedia. Any time she tries to stick to one medium, it never ends up well! From scrapbooking to mixed media collage to jewelry and so much more, Jen wants us all to push outside of our comfort zones and try something new and spectacular.

Today, Jen is going to share her amazing journeys in creativity. Along the way, she will share some of her brightest inspirations, favorite ways to create, and what it is like to develop a product. We will also get an inside look into her Deconstructed Reconstructed Retreats, which are fabulous and invaluable for someone interested in mixed media. Jen will also share with us why she loves working with power tools and blowtorches, and how jewelry making was opened up to her once she learned those skills.

Above all else, Jen makes art for anyone to enjoy that is also accessible to anyone. Because she loves teaching classes and writing books, Jen is ensuring that someone who might not consider themselves an artist in the strictest sense can still create something wonderful. Creativity is for everyone, and Jen and I are so excited to celebrate that with you today!

More in this episode:

• Jen shares all of her current projects and passions.
• Jen travels around the world to teach others how to do mixed media art.
• Teaching women how to use power tools was an accidental but powerful movement for Jen.
• Why Jen started crafting and expressing her creativity.
• Jen actually got her start in journalism!
• How Jen got kicked out of a Creative Memories crop but then got into teaching scrapbooking.
• The creative process involved with developing a project to sell.
• What it's like to teach and develop a class.
• Advice for choosing a retreat.
• Why Jen is hosting her next retreat at home.
• Jen's best thoughts on creativity.

Resources:

Jen Online

Making Metal Jewelry

American Woman's Hospital Service

What really inspires your creativity? Do you ever use the time it takes to do your routine tasks as an opportunity to reflect on things? And if so, do you make use of those reflective moments for your inspiration? Some of my most creative ideas have come to me while preparing a meal, or while doing laundry. And at times I allow myself to really indulge in the sensory input from my surroundings while getting completely lost in the moment. I focus on the colors, textures and my feelings at the time and then the creative force usually follows a bit later. I also love to see what other people are making, as the creativity of others can be a wonderful source of stimulation for new ideas too! Today's story will offer many insights into the life of a fine artist, as I have Diane Richey-Ward with me as the guest on today's show. She's a fine artist based in Sacramento and she was also my drawing teacher a while back. Listen in today to find out about Diane's creative approach to fine art.

Diane has been working mainly with the medium of drawing for the past thirty years. Every ten years she alters her approach, changing from drawing only to mixing drawing with sculpture or with other, different media. Her latest interest has been mixing drawing with photography and she's been busy with that for the last three years. She features her latest work in an awesome show which is going on currently, at the Eastry Gallery in Sacramento. Today Diane talks to us about her widespread experiences and about the shows she's had, all over the world. Listen in now to find out more!

Show highlights:

• What inspired Diane's idea of mixing drawing with photography.
• Diane discusses her love for both drawing and photography.
• What gives Diane the fantastic feeling of unlimited potential that she experiences, as an artist.
• How Diane's creativity has really increased, since her retirement
• How architecture has featured prominently in Diane's latest work.
• The way that traveling provides inspiration for Diane's work.
• What art residency is all about.
• What got Diane into teaching art for almost twenty-three years.
• The most satisfying aspect of being an art teacher for Diane.
• Why being retired is so much fun for Diane.
• Why doing things other than art sometimes is a good idea.
• How Diane initially got into art.
• The hard work and perseverance that is required to become a successful artist.
• The kind of venues that Diane prefers for her shows.
• The key influences in Diane's life as an artist.
• Some tips to help you when you apply for art residencies.
• A way to get a fresh, new perspective on things, if you run into a creative roadblock.

Links:

Photos of some of Diane's work are available to everyone at www.acreativeapproach.com (on the Patreon page.)

They will also be available to the members of the Creative Approach Facebook group on the Creative Approach Facebook group page.

Where do you get YOUR creative approach? For many, it comes from the people in our lives or the places we travel. My guest today draws from both of those for her inspired digital scrapbooking designs. I'm a big fan of hers and I love using her designs for digital pages. I know you'll enjoy hearing her story and learning about her creative approach.

Lynn Grieveson is a scrapbook storyteller, a digital designer, and a memory keeper. She designs digital scrapbooking kits and unique photobooks for documenting and preserving precious memories and stories. Although she has lived in many places around the world, she currently makes her home in New Zealand, one of the most beautiful and inspiring places in the world. Don't miss my conversation with Lynn!

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Lynn's scrapbooking history and the inspiration for her designs
• How Lynn taught herself digital scrapbooking and has never looked back!
• How she creates her designs with kits, brushes, colors, and themes
• The benefits of Adobe Photoshop
• Lynn's inspiration for scrapbooking, beginning with her older daughter many years ago
• The transition to digital scrapbooking: how it happened when she was "playing around"
• Lynn's background in art history and photojournalism
• The biggest challenges as a designer? "The time it takes to create"
• How traveling and living in different places inspires Lynn
• The value of photo books in telling our stories
• England, New Zealand, Australia, and more!
• How she met her husband and learned to juggle work and motherhood
• The circumstances and major influences for creativity in Lynn's life
• What it means to "think like a photojournalist"
• Lynn's thoughts on creativity: "It's important for everyone, because you are making something. Keep at it and it will become automatic and satisfying."

Resources:

www.the-lilypad.com

www.lynngrieveson.com

www.getitscrapped.com

To enter the drawing for a free copy of The War Bride's Scrapbook, by Carolyn Preston: visit the contact page on my website (www.acreativeapproachpodcastcom) or be or become a member of the ACA Facebook group. Leave a comment at either site with a valid email address before March 31, 2018. I'll draw from those responses for a winner of the book!