I Love Your Stories- Conversations with Artists and Creatives with Hava Gurevich

In this episode of I Love Your Stories, Hava Gurevich speaks with award-winning photographer, author and founding host of the B&H Photography Podcast, Allan Weitz.

Allan’s career spans more than five decades of enormous change in photography, from the golden age of magazine assignments and Kodachrome to the arrival of digital photography. He shares how a kid who loved sculpture stumbled into photography in 1960s New York, built a career behind the camera, and eventually became a writer, technology expert and podcast host.

The conversation explores what made Kodachrome so extraordinary and how Allan’s lifelong connection to the film led to his book, Kodachrome: How Two Guys Named Leo Changed Photography. He also shares stories from his years at B&H, including interviewing Jeff Bridges and Graham Nash, his latest creative obsession with Japanese manhole covers, and why his definition of success ultimately comes down to completing something you care about and being able to say, “I’m happy with this.”

Find Allan Weitz:

Official website: https://www.allanweitzdesign.com/

The Kodachrome Store:  
https://www.allanweitzdesign.com/the-kodachrome-store

Kodachrome from Chin Music Press:  
https://www.chinmusicpress.com/product-page/kodachrome-how-two-guys-named-leo-changed-photography-by-allan-weitz

Subscribe to I Love Your Stories for more conversations about creativity, unexpected career paths and the experiences that shape our lives.

#AllanWeitz #Kodachrome #Photography #PhotographyHistory #CreativeJourney #ILoveYourStories

Topics covered:

- Growing up as a creative child in Brooklyn
- Discovering photography at art school
- Building a career by knocking on doors
- Photography during the golden age of magazines
- Why photography became Allan’s language
- The uncertainty and discipline of shooting film
- Moving from analogue to digital photography
- The history and unique qualities of Kodachrome
- The two teenage musicians behind Kodachrome
- Hosting the B&H Photography Podcast
- Interviewing Jeff Bridges and Graham Nash
- Finding art in Japanese manhole covers
- Allan’s personal definition of success

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction  
01:46 – Welcoming Allan Weitz  
02:53 – Growing up in Brooklyn and discovering photography  
07:18 – Why photography became Allan’s language  
09:00 – Building a career by knocking on doors  
09:33 – When photography became collectible art  
10:17 – Experiencing the transition to digital  
13:04 – Film versus digital photography  
16:00 – The mystery of waiting for developed film  
19:23 – Why Allan wrote his Kodachrome book  
28:02 – Becoming a podcast host  
29:23 – Jeff Bridges, Graham Nash and memorable guests  
33:01 – Finding inspiration in Japanese manhole covers  
35:47 – Allan’s definition of success  
40:33 – Allan’s favourite deli sandwich  
41:31 – Where to find Allan

In this episode of I Love Your Stories, Hava Gurevich talks with experimental biologist and artist Kelly Durante about a life shaped by both science and creativity.

Kelly shares how a single paint pouring workshop became a pivotal moment in her artistic journey, eventually leading her to develop her own techniques for bringing greater control and precision to an inherently unpredictable medium. With a background in biology, anthropology, and psychology, and decades spent working with cultured cells, she brings a scientist’s curiosity and experimental mindset into her creative process.

Hava and Kelly talk about the similarities between art and science, where the two disciplines diverge, and the balance between order and chaos that runs through Kelly’s work. They also explore the role of experimentation, intuition, pattern, and the natural world, and what it means to move comfortably between two seemingly different ways of understanding the world.

In this episode:

• Kelly’s journey from childhood creativity to biology  
• How vascular-cell research influences the way she sees the world  
• The workshop that transformed her artistic practice  
• How acrylic pouring creates cell-like patterns  
• Finding a balance between chaos and control  
• Why creativity is essential to scientific discovery  
• Sacred geometry, circles and patterns found in nature  
• Creating without fear of failure  
• Teaching others and witnessing their joy  
• How Kelly defines success today  

CONNECT WITH KELLY
Personal website: https://www.kellyduranteart.com/
The Columbia Art League Artist Village : https://columbiaartleague.org/village/durante-kelly
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellydurante/
Scientific research: Search “Kelly Payton” on Google Scholar  

ABOUT THE PODCAST

I Love Your Stories: Conversations with Artists & Creatives is hosted by artist Hava Gurevich. Each episode explores the experiences, creative practices and personal stories that shape artists and their work.

If you enjoyed this conversation, please like the video, leave a comment and subscribe for more inspiring conversations with artists and creatives.

SPONSOR

This episode is sponsored and produced by Art Storefronts. Learn more at https://www.artstorefronts.com/

#ILoveYourStories #KellyDurante #FluidArt #AcrylicPouring #ScienceAndArt #ArtistInterview #SacredGeometry

In this episode, Hava Gurevich sits down with Jason J. Stevens, founding principal and design director of Flutter and Wow Museum Projects, an exhibit design and fabrication studio based in Ann Arbor.

Jason shares his unconventional path from creative writing and the arts to a career designing museum experiences that make complex ideas engaging and accessible. The conversation explores the role of storytelling in exhibit design, the balance between creativity and research, and the satisfaction of building meaningful work behind the scenes.

Hava and Jason also discuss curiosity as a driving force, the difference between pursuing passion and finding daily gratification, and Jason's current collaboration with Michigan Indigenous communities to create a museum experience that challenges traditional ideas about collecting, displaying, and interpreting cultural objects. Together, they reflect on creativity, purpose, and the many ways stories can be told beyond the written page.

Flutter and WoW website:
https://www.flutterwow.com/

About Jason:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonjaystevens/
https://sliceannarbor.com/post/113274935686/jason-jay-stevens

In this conversation:
How Jason J. Stevens entered the world of museum exhibit design
What exhibit design and museum interpretation involve
Translating complicated subjects into accessible experiences
Designing the Shapes of the Universe physics exhibition
Making gravitational waves and the shape of the universe tangible
The research involved in designing museum exhibitions
Learning about the history of Alaskan aviation
How curiosity has shaped Jason’s creative career
Working across art, science, history and children’s museums
The pressure young people feel to identify a single passion
Why activities that provide comfort and gratification can offer a better guide
Working with Michigan Indigenous communities on a museum in St. Ignace
Listening, building trust and supporting a Native-driven vision
Rethinking how Indigenous objects are presented in museums
Why traditional museum displays can separate objects from their original purpose
How storytelling helps people make sense of experience
Museums and exhibitions as doorways into other worlds

In this episode of I Love Your Stories, Hava Gurevich speaks with Mumbai-based artist, historian, curator and entrepreneur Dr Archana Srivastava about a creative journey shaped by Indian history, philosophy, spirituality and cultural tradition.

Dr Archana shares how she began drawing on walls, tables and the final pages of her school notebooks before studying Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology. She reflects on becoming a self-taught professional artist, holding her first solo exhibition in Mumbai in 1999 and developing a figurative style rooted in spiritual ideas.

The conversation explores how Dr Archana translates ancient wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita and Vedic philosophy into a contemporary visual language. She explains why cultural traditions must be preserved and presented in ways that younger generations can understand, including through works such as The Caged Bird.

Dr Archana also discusses founding ArtSage to support Indian traditional, tribal and folk artists during the pandemic, as well as establishing Le Tresor, a contemporary art gallery in Mumbai. She shares her thoughts on supporting emerging artists, making art galleries more accessible, moving from painting into three-dimensional installations and remaining authentic rather than following artistic trends.

Artist website: https://archanasrivastava.com/ 
Les Tresors Art Gallery:https://lestresors.in/

*Shownotes*
Growing up surrounded by art and learning from her mother and elder sister
Sketching on walls, tables and the final pages of history notebooks
Choosing to study Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology
How spiritual magazines and imagery influenced her artistic direction
Using figures, forms, colours and visual storytelling to communicate deeper ideas
Translating the Bhagavad Gita and Vedic philosophy into contemporary art
Why preserving history and culture helps people maintain their roots
Connecting ancient wisdom with younger and digitally focused generations
Founding ArtSage during the pandemic to support traditional, tribal and folk artists
Why some traditional Indian art forms are at risk of disappearing
Establishing Le Tresor to support contemporary Indian artists
Showcasing Indian masters, established artists and emerging voices
Defining success through making a positive impact
Why young artists should remain authentic and avoid chasing trends
Expanding from two-dimensional paintings into installations
The importance of developing an appreciation for visual and performing art
Making galleries less intimidating and allowing more people to experience art
How exposure can lead to awareness, appreciation and the empowerment of art

In this episode of I Love Your Stories, Hava Gurevich sits down with Seth! Leary, a multidisciplinary artist, entrepreneur, educator, and the creative force behind Gallery 1624.
Seth!’s path has been anything but linear. From launching a print shop at 21, to starting a private school for gifted children, to creating large-scale travelling museum exhibitions, his career has been shaped by curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to build things before all the answers are clear.
The conversation explores Seth!’s early life in a creative household, the lessons he learned from entrepreneurship, the challenge of building museum exhibitions, and the inspiration behind Gallery 1624, a tiny front-yard art gallery with a growing presence.
Hava and Seth! also talk about art education, helping students find an entry point into creativity, the importance of understanding your audience, and why Seth defines success as waking up in the morning and wanting to keep going.

And yes, they also get into the story behind the exclamation point in his name.

Website: https://1624.gallery/
Insta: @gallery1624_springfield/

*Shownotes*

Seth!’s childhood growing up around science, museums, tools, materials, and creativity
How he developed a “no barrier to entry” mindset around making things
Launching a print shop in downtown Springfield at 21
The lessons learned from starting a business with enthusiasm, limited capital, and a rented Xerox machine
Moving to the Seattle area and starting a private school for gifted children
How Seth! built a one-room schoolhouse model from his home
Why designing museum exhibitions became a natural next step
The story behind his traveling museum exhibition company
How the idea for a treasure-themed exhibition came together
The reality of building large-scale traveling exhibitions
Why the travelling exhibition marketplace became harder over time
Returning to Springfield and finding a new creative direction
The inspiration behind Gallery 1624
Seth!’s approach to teaching art to children
Why creativity needs both structure and freedom
Advice for entrepreneurs starting out
The importance of understanding what your customer actually wants
Seth!’s definition of success

*Memorable Quotes*

“Everything's a learning experience.”

“I think that sort of gave me this sense of there’s no barrier to entry.”

“It was great not knowing what I was getting myself into.”

In this episode of I Love Your Stories, Hava Gurevich is joined by multidisciplinary artist, videographer, photographer and writer David Olson.

The conversation explores David’s creative path, from growing up around poetry, drawing, music and photography, to his early experiences with travel, writing, radio, music promotion and video. David reflects on a life-changing rock-climbing experience in Sardinia, the way travel opened up his view of culture and creativity, and how his artistic process grew from observation into abstraction.

Hava and David also discuss photography, videography, composition, synchronicity, the influence of music, and the importance of staying connected to the process of making art rather than focusing only on the final outcome.

Show Notes

David Olson joins Hava Gurevich for a conversation about creativity, perception and the process of making art.

The episode begins with David reflecting on his early creative influences, including his mother, who wrote poetry, drew, sang, played guitar and used photography.

David talks about his early involvement in music, including his time as a DJ on WCBN-FM Ann Arbor, a freeform station where putting together a show was treated as a creative act.

The conversation moves into travel, writing and David’s experiences in France, including how living in different places helped him see cultural norms as constructs and opened up new ways of thinking.

David shares the story of a dangerous rock-climbing experience in Sardinia, where he believed he was going to die. He describes how that moment encouraged him to dig deeper, move toward the things that interested him, and keep exploring in both art and life.

Hava and David discuss his approach to video, including how he became interested in doing the things that video is not usually used for, and how he moved away from simply documenting toward creating abstract compositions.

David explains how a moment in Aventine, one of the oldest quarters of Rome, changed the way he saw photography. He began noticing cracks, posters, colours and fragments on walls as small abstract compositions.

The conversation explores the connection between photography and video, and how David’s visual aesthetic carries through both mediums.

They discuss art that feels beautiful without being conventionally beautiful, and the excitement of looking at something without fully knowing what it is.

David talks about his work with images of musicians, including Ornette Coleman, and how he uses video, stills, multimedia compositing and music as part of the creative process.

Hava and David discuss synchronicity, the I Ching, Carl Jung, and the idea that each moment contains the essence of that moment.

The episode closes with a discussion about success, the value of process, and the idea that making art can be a way of participating in the world.

Hava also shares that she has a show coming up in Springfield, Illinois, featuring miniature paintings of betta fish in a micro gallery.

Memorable Quotes

“There wasn't really a plan. I didn’t really even realize I was pointed in that direction until pretty late in my life.”

“As I went out into the world, I was already looking at it as sort of through this creative lens.”

“The being a DJ was a creative act.”

“If your horizons want to be opened, you start moving around.”

“You realize right away they’re totally arbitrary. It’s just what everybody has agreed that they are.”

“You didn’t really try to do anything.”

“If you like something, do more of that.”

“Move towards the things that attract you and that make you happy or just seem interesting.”

“Don’t just stop. Don’t stop.”

“What if it’s not just documenting something?”

“The last thing I want to do is document something.”

“I started. I saw the world in a different way.”

“There’s all these compositions everywhere.”

“Stop thinking about it narratively.”

In this episode of I Love Your Stories, Hava Gurevich speaks with visionary artist and art therapy coach Tonya McGuire about finding her way back to art after a major health scare forced her to stop, reassess, and reconnect with her creative voice.
Tonya shares how art had always been part of her life, but years of work, responsibility, single parenting, business ownership, and corporate leadership pushed her creativity into the background. After experiencing symptoms that led to a diagnosis of supraventricular tachycardia, she found herself returning to drawing and painting as a way to move through fear, uncertainty, and healing.
The conversation explores visionary art, storytelling through portraits, trauma, mentorship, community, creative reinvention later in life, and what it means to build a meaningful art practice rooted in legacy, emotional connection, and resilience.

Shownotes

In this conversation, Hava and Tonya discuss:

Finding art again after a health crisis
Tonya talks about how heart-related health challenges forced her to pause, step away from the pace of work, and return to her brushes during a period of uncertainty.

Growing up creative but choosing other responsibilities first
Tonya reflects on how art was always in the background, but earning a living, supporting her family, raising her daughter, and working in sales leadership took priority for many years.

The emotional power of art
She shares the early experience of creating work that moved her father to tears, and how that moment showed her art could touch people on a deeply personal level.

What it means to be a visionary artist
Tonya explains how her work moved beyond simple portraiture into storytelling, symbolism, emotion, hummingbirds, lotus flowers, wildlife, sea life, and the feeling of becoming.

Learning, mentorship and community
The episode explores Tonya’s experience with the Milan Art Institute, the Society of Professional Artists, Art Storefronts, and the importance of being part of creative communities that support growth.

Turning art into a professional path later in life
Tonya shares how she began selling pet portraits, developed a body of work, and started building a professional art career within a short period of time.

Art, trauma and healing
The conversation touches on childhood trauma, EMDR therapy, post-traumatic stress, and Tonya’s work creating trauma workshops through art.

Legacy, caregiving and end-of-life storytelling
Tonya discusses the idea of legacy portraits and how art can help tell meaningful stories around life, ageing, caregiving, memory, and transition.

Redefining success
Tonya reflects on success as the ability to continue creating work that makes people feel something, while also learning how to manage life when it becomes loud.

Advice for artists beginning again
She encourages artists who have put their passion aside to make a plan, stay accountable, speak belief out loud, expect resistance, and find their voice.

In this episode of I Love Your Stories, Hava is joined by poet Victor Sotomayor, who performs under the name Italo. Based in Los Angeles and raised in Peru, Victor is also the co-founder of Theria Magazine and Theria Radio, platforms dedicated to supporting independent artists and creative voices outside the mainstream.

The conversation explores poetry as a form of healing, emotional release, and self-discovery. Victor shares how performance allows him to fully embody his work, the story behind creating the persona of Italo, and why some poems are meant to be shared while others remain deeply personal. He also reads two of his poems during the episode, offering a glimpse into the emotional intensity and theatricality of his work.

Hava and Victor discuss his two published books of poetry, including No Se Habla Español, an anthology centered around discrimination and identity, and The Oz Monologues, inspired by the characters of The Wizard of Oz. The latter went on to inspire an award-winning stage production.

This is a conversation about art as transformation, creating space for authentic voices, and the ways poetry can help us process what is otherwise difficult to say.

Website: https://www.theriaentertainment.com/   
Theria Radio: google store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.TheriaRadio&hl=en_CA   apple store:https://apps.apple.com/us/app/theria-radio/id6468251515

Shownotes
01:00:07 — Introduction to Victor Sotomayor, also known as Italo
 01:02:28 — Victor shares how he came to poetry
 01:03:51 — Growing up in Peru and returning to Los Angeles
 01:07:40 — Poetry as healing and a way to process trauma
 01:12:14 — Victor performs “Dear Dorothy” from The Oz Monologues
 01:17:17 — How The Oz Monologues led to a theatre production and Russia
 01:20:53 — Theria Radio and supporting independent artists
 01:21:38 — The beginning of Theria Magazine
 01:24:15 — Inviting artists to submit music and poetry
 01:33:37 — Victor’s definition of success
 01:38:55 — Friday night poetry on Theria Radio

Memorable Quotes
“Poetry is healing.”
“We’re all storytellers.”
“I was a poet back when I didn’t know what poetry was.”
“We wanted to have a platform that caters to independent artists only.”
“Sometimes I write poetry for me that I will never share.”
“Your poetry doesn’t have to rhyme.”
“Many people don’t realize they’re poets too.”
“We are all artists, we are born artists.”
“The more personal it is, the more universal it becomes.”

In this episode of I Love Your Stories, Hava Gurevich is joined by Janavi Mahimtura Folmsbee, a multimedia artist and marine conservation advocate whose work exists at the intersection of art, science, and ocean storytelling.

The conversation explores Janavi’s journey from growing up in Mumbai to studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and how her first scuba diving experience in the Lakshadweep islands in 2008 transformed both her life and artistic practice.

Janavi shares how she integrates scientific research into her work, collaborating with marine scientists on projects ranging from public art installations to scientific publications, all aimed at deepening connection and awareness around ocean ecosystems.

The episode also highlights her exhibition Magic Water at the Rockport Center for the Arts in Texas, featuring underwater photography, oil paintings, and porcelain sculptures inspired by marine life from around the world.

A thoughtful conversation on purpose, interdisciplinary creativity, and redefining success through meaningful connection and impact.

New Exhibition
Magic Water at Rockport Art Center, April 18 - June 7, 2026
https://www.rockportartcenter.com/exhibitions/janavifolmsbee

Website: www.janavimfolmsbee.com   
IG:https://www.instagram.com/janavimahimturafolmsbee/

Shownotes 

00:00 Introduction to Janavi Folmsbee
 01:05 Janavi’s work at the intersection of art and science
 02:10 Sponsor message: Art Storefronts
 03:25 Janavi’s background and growing up in Mumbai by the Arabian Sea
 05:10 Becoming an artist and first solo exhibition at 16
 06:40 Studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
 08:15 Interdisciplinary art practice, pigment theory, and materials
 10:20 First dive experience and connection to the ocean
 13:00 Recreating calm, meditation, and emotional connection through art
 15:10 Becoming a scuba diver and ocean advocate
 16:45 Working with divers and marine scientists
 18:30 Art for scientific papers and collaboration with marine labs
 20:15 Art as advocacy and education
 22:10 Ocean optimism and ocean abundance
 24:20 Why hope matters when communicating environmental issues
 26:00 Art vs science: translating data into emotion
 28:10 Installation work and the Lockett series
 30:00 Current research: coraline algae and reef systems
 32:15 Bioabundance and ecosystem balance
 34:10 Invasive species and anthropogenic change
 36:30 Questioning science and pushing new ideas
 38:10 Exhibition Magic Water overview
40:20 Exhibition structure: photography, paintings, sculptures
42:30 What viewers will feel and experience
44:10 Concept of one ocean and global connection
46:00 Definition of success
48:20 Art, connection, and human response
50:30 Where to find Janavi online
51:20 Closing remarks and sponsor message

Award-winning fine art photographer Susan Burnstine joins this episode to discuss her journey from Hollywood film production to becoming a full-time artist whose haunting dreamlike photographs are created with cameras she built herself.
In this conversation, Susan shares how childhood night terrors and her mother’s artistic guidance shaped her creative process. She reflects on her years working in the film industry, the turning point that brought her back to photography, and the moment she first captured the aesthetic she had been searching for.
The discussion explores her approach to symbolism, intuition, and dream imagery in photography, the experience of building her own cameras, and the importance of creating from the heart rather than technical perfection. Susan also talks about mentoring artists, teaching creativity, and how her definition of success has changed over time.

Website: http://www.susanburnstine.com/

*Shownotes*
Growing up in Chicago and studying photography in high school

Being inspired by films shot at her school and developing an interest in visual storytelling

Early experience working for a professional photographer

Choosing filmmaking and moving to Hollywood

A personal tragedy that shifted her perspective and led her back to photography

Childhood night terrors and using art to cope with fear

Recreating dreams through photography as a form of healing

Discovering toy cameras like the Holga and learning to photograph intuitively

The challenge from her father that led her to build her own cameras

Developing a prototype camera and capturing the first successful image

Using dream imagery, symbols, and metaphor in photography

Creating photographs that allow viewers to form their own interpretation

Teaching photography and helping artists discover their own creative voice

Working with students online around the world

Building a career as a full-time artist for over twenty years

Publishing monographs and exhibiting work internationally

Embracing imperfection as an essential part of creativity

The influence of impressionism and pictorialism on her photography

Defining success through self-expression and living life on her own terms

*Memorable Quotes*
“Toy cameras teach you to shoot differently — to shoot from your heart, not your head.”

“When you’re looking through a view camera, you’re not seeing what you’re really shooting, so you have to go with your instinct.”

“I wanted to recreate the dream world in a positive light rather than the negative night terrors.”

“Imperfection is perfection to me.”

“Life is so messy. Life is so imperfect.”

“Once I put the image out in the world, it should be your own experience.”

“Sometimes when I hit the shutter, I just know.”

“I teach what you know. I help people discover what is unique about them.”

“The essence of creativity just happened in front of me.”

“Success is about achieving self-expression on my own terms.”

“I’ll leave this life and say I lived the life I wanted to live.”