Creageivity

Musician ELI DOKSON converted from high school trumpeter to electric guitarist after seeing the Beatles perform live: “Everyone else was standing there screaming, and I was just standing there staring,” he recalls. And so began a lifelong passion for playing guitar, which Eli still continues at the age of 75, gigging regularly in the area around his home of Crestone in the high desert of Colorado, USA. In Creageivity 23 Eli gives Adrienne a lesson in the basics of chord structures, and why anyone can play the blues if they know their I, IV, and V. He also tries to convince Harlan of the genius that is guitarist Robben Ford, although all three are agreed on the lasting brilliance of Bob Dylan.

We hear excerpts of two tracks from Eli’s solo album A Dream I Can’t Forget: Center of the Sky and Holding Out for Love. In between there’s also a song from one of Eli’s many bands, Earthmen, with a track titled Parallel to Yesterday from their album Touch. 

When not guitaring, Eli describes his life taking care of horses at the stables he has run with his wife Joanna for around 30 years, and where he says he is, ‘In charge of manure’. However it’s to the joy of musical creativity and performance that Eli returns at the end of the podcast, as he reflects on the advice given to him by another respected musician. 

Creageivity 23 offers a relaxed stroll through Americana music – including reflections on listening to the Grateful Dead, back in the day in San Francisco. 

Photographs of Eli courtesy of Mat Lit, photographer and editor of The Creston Eagle: MattLitPhoto.com 

Music written and performed by Eli Dokson and friends, used with permission.

If you feel you're too old to be creative, or too creative to be old, then Creageivity is the podcast for you!

Our guest for Creageivity 22 is MONICA CLARKE – also known as Ouma Monica, meaning Grandmother – who was born and raised in South Africa during the brutal and repressive Apartheid regime which separated people according to their skin colour. By the 1980s Monica was an activist for the African National Congress, smuggling revolutionary literature and funds into the country – which led to her life being threatened, and escape to Britain, where she was given political asylum. 

Monica has worked as a nurse, midwife and lawyer, based in London. She is also an accomplished writer and storyteller and is particularly keen to recount stories of oppression, both in the past, and currently. 

Her book The Hottentot Venus tells the truly shocking story of Saartjie Baartman (a Khoi Khoi ancestor of Monica’s) who in the 1800s was trafficked from her home in South Africa, to be displayed like a zoo animal in London and Paris, where she died in tragic circumstances. Another of Monica’s books, Apartheid & Me is written specifically to educate and enlighten younger readers about the horrors of racial inequality in South Africa. To Have not, to Hold is also set in Apartheid South Africa, and charts the struggles of a young woman within a violent marriage. 

In our podcast, Monica talks about her own background in a country riven along racial lines, as well as another theme, based on her experience of the love and hope of caring for a partner with aphasia. Even in the midst of extreme difficulties, Less Words, More Respect shows that ‘there is a future worth living for’.

Ouma Monica’s experience and creative output spans difficult times and subjects, but she tells her stories with a lightness and humanity that is heartwarming. Tune in to Creageivity 22 for some marvellous storytelling and a big warm smile!

Monica’s website: https://www.monicaclarke.website/home

Austin Macauley Publishers: https://www.austinmacauley.com/author/monica-clarke

Monica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicaclarkewriterstoryteller/?originalSubdomain=uk

Music: Unlock Me by Prazkhanal, with thanks

If you feel you're too old to be creative, or too creative to be old, then Creageivity is the podcast for you!

Filmmaker MARY DICKINSON has an astonishingly long filmography working as a Producer and Director, mainly for the BBC’s flagship Arts programme, ARENA. During her seven years of art school, culminating in an MA from the Royal College of Art, Mary rapidly abandoned her teenage dreams of becoming a painter. Instead she experimented with decaying food as sculptural statements, performance art, and developed an interest in human mortality and the rituals of death. 

As Mary tells us in CREAGEIVITY 21, she realised that these preoccupations would not necessarily provide a steady income, and after the Royal College joined the film unit of the National Coal Board, working on educational and safety programmes. This led to a career defining 24-year spell with the BBC, working in Music and Arts, and Community Programmes. During this time she became attached to Arena, the highly influential and respected arts programme, steered from 1975 by Alan Yentob. Mary tells us of the first Arena programme she produced and directed, Old Kent Road, which defined her approach to having documentary subjects tell the story in their own words (now a common technique, but in the 80s a big break from presenter-led programmes). 

We also hear of films made with comedian Alexei Sayle, comic strip artists Robert Crumb and Aline Kominsky-Crumb, and the story of Masters of the Canvas, about painter Peter Blake’s obsession with the masked wrestler Kendo Nagasaki. These are just a few among very many entertaining and challenging films made by Mary while at ‘The Beeb.’ 

Following a period working in the Independent TV sector, Mary briefly retired, before having a ‘Eureka Moment’ on Catford railway station in London, and launching herself back into a new collaboration which will soon be submitted to film festivals and other public screenings.
Fasten your seatbelts folks and tune in to Creageivity 21 with MARY DICKINSON!

Music with thanks: Steampunk Victorian Orchestra by Humanoide Media

If you feel you're too old to be creative, or too creative to be old, then Creageivity is the podcast for you!

Born in Canada during the Second World War, Norma Geddes has for many years been resident in Virginia, on the Eastern seaboard of America. She forged a career in healthcare and garnered a fistful of degrees along the way, while always being interested in creative expression. In our lively and entertaining meeting with Norma, she tells how one of her early forays into spinning yarns had to cease due to a lanolin allergy, however in time she found her calling: stained glass. 

She discovered stained glass art when renovating her kitchen and needed to choose textured glass for some cabinets. In the glass shop she noticed a very small ad for stained glass classes, and said to herself, “I have never done that before...” and so began her 'journey of bliss'.

Norma is now a highly regarded glass artist working in stained and fused glass, creating vibrant original work which has been exhibited in eight galleries, and is currently shown in three in Virginia, with a new show which started October '24.

The passion for her art and for life is joyous and encouraging for everyone who feels the spark of creativity, and Norma is a living example of someone who keeps on keepin' on. Hear Norma's enthusiasm and infectious, impish wisdom in Creageivity 20, and discover why her quote from US writer Joseph Campbell is so apposite to her work: 'When you follow your bliss, doors will open for you that you did not know were there and would not be there for anyone else.'  

See Norma's work at her website:
http://www.normageddesglass.com

and on instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/geddes_glass

Music this episode with thanks to Dvir Silver:
https://pixabay.com/users/sonican-38947841

If you feel you're too old to be creative, or too creative to be old, then Creageivity is the podcast for you!

South-east Londoner MARTIN CROCKER fronted school plays and was drawn to performing, while at the same time going on to become a sportsman and enthusiast for the outdoors, including mountaineering. In CREAGEIVITY 19, Martin describes how and why he was attracted to success in different areas, especially as an actor on stage, television, and as an in-demand voice-over artist. At the same time he admits to the ‘yin-yang’ of a fascination with corporate life – one which was to lead him, at a relatively late age, to starting a whole new life in France as a Director of Communication.

Martin’s story takes in many stopping points, including studying English and European literature with Germaine Greer, being in a cabaret style theatre group, further study at the Bristol Old Vic theatre school, running a major arts centre, and writing the novel he always felt he had in him. 

His voice will be familiar to many radio listeners over the years, and his face will be recognised from a variety of TV parts, although he has yet to portray the pirate role he dreamed of (but he did play a serial killer on one occasion!)

These days Martin lives in idyllic surroundings in Provence and has returned to an early love of water colour painting. We’ll be posting some of his pictures on our Creageivity Facebook page over the next month. Do listen in to our creative and thoroughly charming guest Martin Crocker!

Music with thanks to Vitalli Korol

If you feel you're too old to be creative, or too creative to be old, then Creageivity is the podcast for you!

As Adrienne points out in Creageivity 18, listing the many and varied accomplishments of composer, musician, GRAMMY award winning conductor and writer LUCAS RICHMAN is quite the task. Coming from a family of performers, including his actor father and mother, Peter Mark Richman and Helen Richman, Lucas knew from early on that he would be a musician, and as we hear in this episode, at 17 he was commissioned to write the score for A Streetcar Named Desire. 

Lucas gives fascinating insights into what a composer does and reflects on the inspiration and mentorship he gained from studying with Leonard Bernstein. We hear short excerpts from a few of his over 350 compositions, including a piece from The Warming Sea - an example of Lucas’ increasing work with educational and social awareness projects. 

We also find out how conductors for film music require at least three eyes and are sometimes expected to work with an orchestra on zero rehearsal time. Eavesdrop an extraordinary career in music and prepare to be fascinated and charmed!

https://lucasrichman.com/

https://soundcloud.com/lucas-richman

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0725046/

If you feel you're too old to be creative, or too creative to be old, then Creageivity is the podcast for you!

A graduate of the Second City improvising group in Chicago, Latifah Taormina went on to co-found, produce, direct and perform with The Committee, San Francisco’s famed improvisational theatre of the late 60s. Under her stage name of Jessica Myerson, her Hollywood career included parts in The Graduate, Mrs Doubtfire, and Steelyard Blues, and she was a familiar face on American TV with appearances on many popular evening shows.

As well as her performing history, Latifah is highly experienced as an arts administrator, painter, educator and mentor. She also initiated the Poems for Peace movement which spread to 14 countries, and she continues to work on projects to promote peace. 

Her autobiography, Ha Ha Among the Trumpets: An Improvisational Journey, chronicles her incredible journey set against the historical backdrop of the Kennedy assassination, Bloody Sunday, the Selma civil rights march, the early feminist movement, and anti-war protests. It also takes in her time as a teacher and educationalist during 10 years in Indonesia. 

In Creageivity 17 we barely scratch the surface of an incredibly creative and inspiring life, so join us for a fabulous conversation with Latifah Taormina! 

https://amongthetrumpets.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Ha-Among-Trumpets-Improvisational-Journey/dp/B0BRLVS7B3

If you feel you're too old to be creative, or too creative to be old, then Creageivity is the podcast for you!

Our planned guest for this episode was unable to join us, so we made the creative decision to fall back on our own resources, with Adrienne Thomas the special guest of Harlan Cockburn and vice versa.
Back in the 1970s we met at Maidstone Art College in Kent, southern England, and the journeys there were similar... but different: Adrienne battled for her place, and Harlan arrived by accident. Hear about 'Honouring your mistakes as hidden intentions', the magic of Captain Beefheart, and the bloke that wrote Ulysses... Y'know whassisname...
We hope you'll be entertained, stimulated, and smile as we celebrate creativity in many forms down the years. 


Photo credit: Fortepan_231567 Bor Desző

If you feel you're too old to be creative, or too creative to be old, then Creageivity is the podcast for you!

Graham McGregor-Smith took a long detour as a Chartered Accountant, and then stay-at-home Dad before eventually launching himself into music. Having started with a love of AC/DC, he became influenced by the Great American Songbook, with artists such as Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. However it was many years before he was able to progress things, when a chance meeting in a park led to him start realising that he can write highly melodic, lyrically-charged songs, and - as he says in the podcast - 'show off' by performing them live. Also performing live in the podcast is an elderly Westie dog called Polo, who has recently received a fresh lease of life!

Graham's new album, Road To Anywhere is also his debut album (and there's an endurance cycling-related story behind the title) which he is now promoting and performing live. So does he see Madison Square Garden performances, and songwriting credits for Lady Gaga beckoning? Listen to Creageivity 15 to find out.
You can also hear three songs from Graham's album, two of which feature an unusual solo...

Website:
https://mcgregor-smith.com
Music at:
https://mcgregor-smith.bandcamp.com

If you feel you're too old to be creative, or too creative to be old, then Creageivity is the podcast for you!

CHRISTINE COHEN PARK is a novelist, freelance writer, facilitator of shared reading groups, and a former tutor on the University of Sussex M.A. in Writing & Personal Development,

She’s written three published novels, Joining the Grown–ups, The Househusband, and A Key To Lock Out Cougars. She has also co-edited a prize-winning collection of short stories Close Company. 

As Christine joins us on Creageivity she has just completed her latest novel Bye Bye Apartheid Road set in Israel and Palestine, and this forms the start point of our discussion.
There’s also some great storytelling about being a single mother in London, and slowly emerging from the role of a successful businesswoman, to that of a published author. Along the way Christine tells of the transformation she experienced when she went to a remote island in British Columbia, Canada, and learned that, ‘We also think with our bodies.’ 

For a thoughtful, entertaining listen, tune in to Christine Cohen Park.

https://www.christinecohenpark.com/

Music: Seaside Café by Peri Tune, and Goin’ Back by James Bragg: https://wabisabimusic.de/artists/james/
https://souterrainsounds.bandcamp.com/album/red-cloud

If you feel you're too old to be creative, or too creative to be old, then Creageivity is the podcast for you!