Creative Bear Hug

Based in Orange County, CA, for over 35 years Karen worked as a high school art teacher where she had the opportunity to both guide and observe her students as they engaged in the creative process of making art. Since retiring, Karen now draws from her years of experience in the classroom to inform her own work in mixed media collage.

Mixed Media artist Karen Akashi shares her daily routine, finding comfort in ambiguity, and the liberation of finding your voice.

Mixed Media artist Karen Akashi talks collaborating with your work, how a change in perspective can make way for breakthroughs, and how decision making can inform your own artistic style.

Musician Faye Yim breaks down their three-step creative process, how looking to their past work has provided profound creative growth, and the intrinsic value of creating art and music for a community.

Musician Aaron Valenzuela talks finding confidence as an artist and collaborator, losing sight of why we create, and learning to let go of precious ideas in order to write songs.

Contemporary Dancer Ellen Akashi discusses changing lanes to pursue your dreams, distinguishing the difference between hobby and passion, and embracing discomfort to become a better artist.

An update for upcoming episodes between June and July of 2022.

Painter Cathleen Clarke discusses the importance of looking to the past for inspiration, finding confidence and comfort in what you can't control, and the importance of giving yourself room to make mistakes.

Scott Whittaker is a musician currently residing in New York. He records under the moniker Tallinn. In our conversation Scott discusses how pivoting away from guitar sculpted his artistic identity, how rebelling against the phenomenon of demoitis led to his second release, and how he utilizes literature to write songs.

Painter Jared Friedman speaks about how criticism has helped him grow as an artist, the benefits of working in an intense creative environment, and how he strives to uncover the interesting within the uninteresting in his paintings.