When an artist has lived ten creative lives and still shows up curious, brilliant, and fully human — you listen. Marissa Lichwick joins Ilse for a conversation that feels like a masterclass, a pep talk, and a cosmic hug all at once. They dive into the summer she spent training at UCLA, what making a film really demands, why stories are crafted three different times, and how being adopted shaped her writing, her acting, and her relentless pull toward truth.

Marissa talks about the courage to start before you feel ready, the art of making work instead of waiting for permission, and the wild discipline behind a multihyphenate career. There’s talk of aliens, AI dread, Korean skincare, roommates half your age, and the magic that happens when you decide your creativity deserves to take up space.

Follow Marissa on Instagram @marissa_lch and submit to the Women Make Movies Film Festival via FilmFreeway — DM her for the friends-and-family waiver code.

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