Creative Block

Alex Sarian started his tenure as President and CEO of Arts Commons in January of 2020. He brought with him a great knowledge of how to run a successful arts organization. He talks with Kyle about what's helped him through the past year and what makes him excited about the future of Arts Commons and Calgary.

Kyo-Jean Chung grew up watching his parents run a café. He knew he also wanted to put his mark on food. Now he's begun two food startups and taken over his parents' café while still looking at ways to innovate. He joins Kyle to discuss coffee, Calgary, and cocktails.

How does a Toronto kid spend 20 years working in New York City theatre and then find themselves in Calgary? In this episode Stafford Arima describes his approach to theatre, how Evita changed his life, and a confrontation with the legendary Elaine Stritch.

Melanie Bahniuk originally thought that soccer stardom was in her future. But then she got sucked into the world of acting. Now she's also helping to produce the short documentary OMA. In this episode she lets Kyle know how that happened and why Alberta is becoming a better place for theatre and film.

The Ashley Hundred are described as "a psychedelic rock band without boundaries or burdens." Two members of the band, Brett Cassidy and Carson Stewart, join Kyle to discuss how the band was formed, how they've survived the last year, and what the Calgary music scene means to them.

Pass Me By is a graphic novel described as "an inverted coming of age story about understanding queer identity and what happens to the stories you never tell." Its creators, Kyle Simmers and Ryan Danny Owen, join Kyle to discuss small towns, art degrees, and their new book.

Trailer for Season Three!

Bruce Tannas has worn a bunch of different hats in his life. But his new venture has been in his mind for a while. In this episode he lets Kyle know how Connect4Commerce allows businesses find the opportunities they're looking for.

Jena and Jocelyn could see there was a need to connect families that couldn't see each other in-person. Faraway Families reminds readers aged 0-99 that we are always loved, no matter how far apart we may be. In this episode you'll hear how they met, the opportunity they saw, and what lies ahead for them.

Just some more things I've been thinking about over the past month in relation to my business, Media Lab.