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

In this episode, host Hava Gurevich speaks with pianist and improviser Veena Kulkarni-Rankin.
A classically trained musician who discovered a love for improvisation and collaboration, Veena opens up about her journey, her genre-defying bands Kuwento Mizik and AgawDilim, and the healing power of music during her recent cancer treatment. Together, they explore the connection between music and visual art, improvisation as expression, and how creativity can
be a form of medicine.

Links to Veena's Bands:
1. AgawDilim-  website:
https://www.agaw-dilim.com/
link to single:
https://open.spotify.com/track/0L1boxgBztztuyKaDvMQ8s?si=whR2JPhqTB-kxadogGNQrg

2. link to Kuwento Mizik's album, Lua Nova: 
https://open.spotify.com/album/7MoH09QVID9kIzlEcUWPwe?si=8Cll_KHTSNyPi2xFP8BOfw&nd=1&dlsi=d44eef55d5b14476

Veena’s background in classical piano and improvisation

Description of her bands:

AgawDilim: Jazzy world music with Persian and jazz influences

Kuwento Mizik: Story-driven salon-style concerts

The magic of collaboration with musicians from diverse traditions

Comparing improvisational music to painting and other art forms

The emotional and spiritual nature of improvisation

In this episode of I Love Your Stories, host Hava Gurevich sits down with photographer and former tech architect Carol Schiraldi. A New York City native who moved to Austin in the early ‘90s, Carol shares her journey from programming and systems design to becoming a full-time artist. They explore the balance between creative passion and professional careers, the philosophical role of photography, the impact of the pandemic on life direction, and the influence of AI on both art and humanity. This is a candid and insightful conversation about purpose, discovery, and the intersection of technology and creativity.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/carolschiraldi
website: https://www.carolslittleworld.com/

In this follow-up conversation, Hava Gurevich welcomes back Canadian documentary filmmaker Dennis Mohr, fresh from an AI Film Festival in Amsterdam. They dive into Dennis’s renewed passion for filmmaking, sparked by the possibilities of AI-generated cinema. 

Dennis shares how AI is democratising the industry, allowing low-budget creators to achieve what once required large crews and big budgets. From recreating medieval battle scenes in Georgia to launching an AI artist collective in Toronto, Dennis reflects on how embracing new technology is fueling a creative renaissance in his 50s. 

This is a story of reinvention, optimism, and the evolving role of the artist in the age of artificial intelligence. 

Show Notes:
Guest: Dennis Mohr – Canadian documentary filmmaker and technologist
https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0596049/

Topics Discussed: 

• ●  Attending the AI Film Festival in Amsterdam and what made it different 
• ●  The rise of AI as a tool for low-budget, high-impact filmmaking 
• ●  How AI workflows replicate the satisfaction of traditional production 
• ●  Forming the Toronto AI Film Group and its rapid growth 
• ●  Being hired for professional documentary work using AI recreations 
• ●  Democratisation vs. commercialisation of AI in film 
• ●  Ageing as a creative and finding renewed purpose 
• ●  Reflections on artistic identity, reinvention, and staying current with tech 

Mentioned Tools & Platforms: 

• ●  ChatGPT and Gemini for scripting and ideation 
• ●  AI video and image generators for creative production 
• ●  Art Storefronts (sponsor mention) 
• Memorable Quotes: 
• “I’ve gone from zero to sixty in six months—AI filmmaking brought me back to why I fell in love with storytelling in the first place.” 
• “I’d rather do what I’m doing now, with AI, than any previous stage of my creative life.” 

In this episode of I Love Your Stories, host Hava Gurevich sits down with author, martial arts master, and mindset coach Nick Suino. With decades of experience training in Japan and teaching martial arts in the U.S., Nick shares how the dojo became a foundation for not just physical discipline, but for living a more intentional life.

They talk about the subtle yet powerful shift that happens when we choose to show up fully—whether it’s in martial arts, writing, or daily habits—and how the tools of focus, consistency, and presence can help anyone improve their mindset and find meaning in effort.

Nick also opens up about his creative process as a writer, the difference between practising a skill and “rehearsing mediocrity,” and why the best kind of discipline is one rooted in self-respect, not shame.

Topics Covered:

• Nick’s martial arts journey, from Michigan to Japan
• Founding the Japanese Martial Arts Center in Ann Arbor
• The connection between physical practice and mindset
• Why consistency often trumps intensity
• The mental shift that comes from “just showing up”
• How martial arts can teach respect, patience, and inner calm
• Nick’s approach to writing and creativity
• Letting go of perfectionism and focusing on improvement
• Why self-talk matters more than we think

In this episode, I sit down with Canadian documentary filmmaker Dennis Mohr for a thoughtful exploration of longevity, creative resilience, and the shifting landscape of visual storytelling. Known for his insightful documentaries about eccentric artists and forgotten visionaries, Dennis reflects on his decades-long career and how his curiosity has fueled a life of meaningful creative work—from working with the CBC and indie film teams to crafting intimate portraits of iconoclasts like Arthur Lipsett and Mike Disfarmer.

We talk about the emotional highs and the heartbreaks of collaborative filmmaking, how social media and streaming reshaped documentary distribution, and what it means to stay creatively vital as we age. Dennis also shares how he unexpectedly found new inspiration through AI, not as a replacement for traditional craft, but as a surprising tool for independent experimentation. This conversation is a tender meditation on the evolving role of the artist, the joys of process, and what it means to keep making things that matter—even when the path ahead is uncertain.

https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0596049/

Key Themes from this Episode:

1. Creativity doesn’t diminish with age—it deepens with experience and perspective.
2. The best documentaries are shaped by genuine curiosity and collaborative trust.
3. Social media can amplify artistic voices but also complicate ownership and legacy.
4. AI, when approached as a tool rather than a threat, can reinvigorate creative practice.
5. The filmmaking process is a microcosm of life—filled with compromise, improvisation, and hard-won beauty.
6. Even when projects don’t get finished or funded, the relationships and stories endure.

 In this intimate and playful conversation, host Hava Gurevich speaks with long-time friend and fellow creative, Misha Gurevich—a software designer, writer, meditator, and seeker of flow. Though they’ve known each other for over 15 years, this marks their very first face-to-face dialogue, and the result is a deeply reflective exploration of creativity, consciousness, and the transformational power of letting go.

Misha shares his journey from working in tech in San Francisco to enrolling at Maharishi International University, where a deep dive into meditation and creative writing sparked a lifelong fascination with flow states. Together, they discuss how self-doubt creeps into the creative process, and how tools like meditation, free writing, and play can unlock a more intuitive, joyful way of being.

Hava and Misha compare notes on their creative practices—painting, writing, coding, kiteboarding—and discover surprising common threads. They speak candidly about the tension between art and commerce, and the importance of carving out “throwaway” moments—spaces without pressure, where the best work often begins.

This episode is an invitation to loosen the grip, trust your instincts, and remember that sometimes the most profound insights come when you stop trying so hard.

https://www.instagram.com/michaelgurevich777/      
https://www.ilys.com/

Key Themes:

• The role of flow in writing, art, and everyday life
• Morning pages, self-censorship, and the myth of “doing it right”
• Letting go as both a creative and spiritual practice
• Designing environments that reduce friction and interrupt self-doubt
• The surprising power of throwaway work and the creative gold it reveals
• The uncomfortable but necessary dance between art and commerce

In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, I sit down with Anthony Mottley, filmmaker, podcaster, and former television producer, to reflect on the unexpected turns of a creative life. Anthony shares stories from his early days in radio and public television to his current journey as a writer, revealing how every detour, mistake, and challenge led him closer to purpose. Together, we explore the nonlinear path of transformation, the wisdom of lived experience, and the moments that force us to reimagine what truly matters.

Anthony speaks candidly about facing a cancer diagnosis, the humbling reality of not being in control, and the radical clarity that comes when everything you thought was important suddenly falls away. We talk about intuition, creative process, and the tension between self-doubt and faith...both in art and in life. This is a story about breaking generational patterns, learning to trust the unfolding, and finding meaning in the mess. If you’ve ever questioned your path or wondered whether it’s too late to start again, this episode is for you.

Key Themes:

• Creative detours are not mistakes; they are invitations into deeper purpose.
• Legacy is built by showing up with intention, not perfection.
• A cancer diagnosis shifted everything, revealing what really matters and what doesn’t.
• Faith evolves into knowing, especially when you’re no longer in control.
• True self-expression requires risk, discomfort, and time.
• Art, like life, is about the process, not the polished outcome

Artist and healer Jaclyn Gordian joins host Hava Gurevich to discuss reclaiming art as a ritual, embracing nature as a collaborator, and the emotional power of intuitive creativity.

They dive into Jaclyn’s evolution from representational work to abstract nature-infused pieces, how her grief and healing shaped her practice, and how movement, colour, and earth-based materials guide her emotionally and spiritually.

Jaclyn also discusses launching a nature-based artist residency in Michigan and what it means to foster a safe space for raw, process-led creation.

Topics Covered:

• The spiritual and intuitive evolution of Jaclyn’s art
• Moving from figure drawing to emotional abstraction
• Nature as a collaborator, not just a backdrop
• Working with materials like moss, bark, saltwater, and movement
• The role of grief and healing in her creative awakening
• Creating a sacred, home-based studio space
• Starting a new artist residency focused on land, body, and spirit
• Releasing perfectionism in favor of process and play
• The connection between nervous system regulation and creative flow
• Building an artistic life that honours joy, rest, and personal sovereignty