Curiously Creative

Angie Richardson is a clinically registered and experienced Arts therapist who has worked extensively with children for the past 30 years. In her private practice ‘Creative Harmony’ Angie works with children, teens, and adults individually or with families using a multi modal approach that involves creative visual art making, drama, sandtray and movement. She is also a registered primary school teacher with counselling and psychotherapy training, as well as a Master’s Degree in Arts Therapy. She has worked as a behavioural support worker in schools for children with challenging behaviours and has vast experience working in the area of special needs. Her current work involves Drama and Dance therapy for special needs schools, facilitating art therapy groups for clients with dementia and those recovering from mental health issues. As well as running workshops for the Masters Programme at Whitecliffe and supervising clinical trainees. Amongst many things we talk about how the arts improve learning capabilities, the power of play and playfulness, the importance of cultivating the arts within school systems, how structure can develop improvisation skills, art and creativity as an inherent human characteristic, ways to make arts more accessible, inclusive and integrated in a class or curriculum, Improvisation as a learning and teaching skill and how positivity can develop awareness, skills and capability.

Sarah Frizzell is the co-founder of The Lucky Taco, a highly acclaimed taco food truck business that was at the forefront of the modern food truck industry in New Zealand. Having learned from some of the most famous chefs in Mexico, alongside extensive research of the food truck industry in California, The Lucky Taco have developed their own taco flavours, Mexican horchata’s, chilli salts, sauces, pickles and taco meal kits. As well as doing private events and establishing amazing collaborations. The Lucky Taco has become one of the most loved and popular food brands around, sharing their experience and knowledge at many events and receiving a multitude of awards both locally and internationally for many years.

Pamela is a dancer, teacher and entrepreneur from Lithuania. Having started dancing when she was 5 years old with traditional lithuanian folk dance, she became spellbound by the swing dance Lindy Hop at the age of sixteen. She very quickly became a highly acclaimed competitor, international instructor, judge and performer working alongside some of the best in the world. She also runs her own coaching programme alongside designing and managing her own dance shoe range Swingin.Shoes. Amongst many wonderful things, we talk about the power of talking things out loud, processing mental and emotional overwhelm as a young proffessional, what it means to be an artist, navigating criticism and compliment, practicing courage as a muscle and tools to process your inner critic.

Urzila Carlson is one of the most hilarious and prominent comedians based in New Zealand. Having entered the comedy world much later in life by “accident”, she now regularly performs and tours all around the world, and appears in many tv shows both in New Zealand and Australia. She has racked up many many awards for her stand-up comedy. Such as the best female comedian for multiple years at the NZ Comedy Guild Awards and many more. She is also the author of her memoir ‘Rolling with the Punchlines’ and appearing in Netflix’s ‘comedians of the world’. Amongst many things we talk about the power of humour for building human connection and communication, the value of fast feedback in resolving content, curating content for writing versus speaking , the pay off of failure and how showering, brushing your hair and putting on a good bra can induce productivity. ;)

Alice Mei is a highly acclaimed Swing dancer, instructor and performer. Having started dancing at the very young age of 4 across numerous dance styles, she fell particularly in love with Lindy Hop and authentic jazz. She has been swing dancing for 14 years and very quickly became a highly sought-after international instructor teaching in more than 30 countries. She is also an acclaimed competitor winning a plethora of titles all around the world. Amongst many things we talk about habit and repetition to reduce fear and develop confidence, processing rejection as a healthy exercise for developing mental and emotional resilience, the importance of having the right people around you and navigating teaching art vs making art.

Giapo Graziol is the founder and creator of the gelato company Giapo. Their creations are described as some of the craziest, tastiest and most luxurious edible works of art. These range from delicious and unique flavour combinations, to wearable gelato, to international dishes represented in gelato form. Their quest to change how people experience ice cream has made their creations go beyond traditional forms and push the boundaries to deliver a gelato experience unlike any other. Giving them world wide acclaim and being listed as 1 of 51 excellent ice cream shops around the world. Amongst many things, we talk about how gratitude is part of the creative process, empathy as a synonym of intelligence, the mindset for innovation, the importance of focusing on the process to maintain passion and resilience, how a strong business purpose and intention can guide and build business currency and what it means to be an artist.

Rose Barbarich is the driving force behind General Collective Lifestyle market, a mecca for contemporary hand-crafted products. From launching a small market of 14 in 2014 to now a large-scale design and lifestyle market with over 300 designers and makers. They have become the largest independently curated market in Auckland offering the best place to buy and support independent and locally designed products. Amongst many things we talk about the beginnings of General Collective, system approaches that can enable you to grow and scale your business, the value of planning to give you confidence and creative freedom and how conversation can fuel inspiration and motivation.

Elliot Alexander is the founder and director of Endemic World. Endemic World is a gallery space, an online and offline retailer of local and international art, and provider of a variety of artistic services to help local artists do more and be more. With a passion for business, creativity and the arts at the core, Elliot’s extensive experience has served Endemic World as a very inspiring, ever-growing and multifaceted art business. Amongst many things we talk about how routine and discipline can foster creativity, balancing between the creative and the business aspects, The importance on learning how to sell and market in the artistic industry, and maintaining vision and resilience through the challenges of running a business.

Alastair Walker is one of the co-creators of Caretaker, a bespoke New York style cocktail bar inspired by the golden era of bar tending. He is a cocktail connoisseur with over 12 years of experience and learning with some of the best in the world. Inspired by hosting as his core value, Alastair’s passion and meticulous approach to cocktails draws on classics created in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th century, in order to create bespoke drinks and experiences. Amongst many things we talk about the importance of simplicity, the value of research and exploring what already exits, how pessimism can be useful when creating something new and the value of engagement and communication as a source for inspiration and decision making.

Olivia Bezett is one of the youngest and most widely recognised New Zealand Artists. A realist surrealism artist, she creates highly detailed drawings with a quirky twist of surrealism. Her whimsical animal portraits have made her wildly popular all around the world, with a commission waitlist spanning over 3 years. Amongst many things we talk about developing a full time art career, charging for your work, processing criticism, the values of experimentation, utilising social media and trusting your own process.