Jeri Lynne Johnson, the founder and artistic director of Philadelphia’s Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, continues to break barriers across the US and Europe as the first woman and/or the first African-American woman on the podium for many orchestras and opera companies. In our conversation about sustaining a creative life, she shares the challenges she's overcome along her artistic journey, what keeps her going, and how to transform grit into grace. 

Learn more about Jeri and explore her work.

Listen to -- and support! -- The Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra. 

Check out these women conductors and composers:

Tania León
 

Marin Alsop

Jennifer Higdon

Learn more about the Taki Alsop Fellowship.

Read poetry by Langston Hughes.

And watch Bugs Bunny posing as Conductor Leopold Stokowski!

Visual and sound artist Perri Howard talks about recording sound in the quietest place on earth, falling in love with whale songs, and always coming in second place. In every area of her creative practice, she's willing to explore unfamiliar territory and shares with us how to do the same. 

Check out Perri's work at perrilynchhoward.comincluding her gallery installation Once Upon A Whale Song and public art piece, Alightment.

View her work from her upcoming show "Hear This" at the Seattle Art Museum Gallery. 

And follow her on instagram @velocitymadegood.

Other resources from this episode include:

Rocky Neck Art Colony

Oceans Alliance

Dr. Roger Payne

Songs of the Humpback Whale

Shannon Cason is a master storyteller -- seen on Snap Judgment, TEDx, and The Moth stages to name a few -- and is the host of the podcast Homemade Stories. In his words, he's also a late bloomer, and with his trademark wit, wisdom, and incredible sense of timing, he shares how the right perspective can turn life's rough patches into life-changing art.
Check out Shannon's website. 

Watch his story Late Bloomer.

Don't miss My Father's Camera.

Learn from his TEDx talk.

And subscribe to his podcast Homemade Stories.
 

ALSO:

Listen to Aaron Calafato's 7 Minute Stories.

Here's some sWooZie too!

Check out Story Club Chicago.

And listen to the Tuesday song!

Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Amy Grant kicks off Season Two with an in-depth conversation about how she’s sustained her more than 40-year career. For her, it’s all about connection — with herself and with her community. She also talks about falling in love with the creative process, the importance of making art even if no one sees it, and her journey to recover her voice after she thought she’d lost everything.

Check out Amy’s tour dates here.

Listen to her songs “Trees We’ll Never See” and "What You Heard."

Other artists mentioned:

Leslie Satcher

Marshall Altman

Cory Asbury

In our final episode of the season, I talk with Harris III, who shares his unexpected journey as a professional magician, storyteller, author, and the director and curator of the Story Gatherings, an international conference on storytelling. We talk about misusing our imaginations, the importance of wow and how, and the lifesaving power of art. 

To be the first to know when Season Two will drop, join the mailing list. 

Learn more about Harris here.

And find out about the Story Gatherings here. 

Episode 9: There is Courage in Community.

For this episode, I delve into stand-up comedy, which seems like the loneliest of professions but actually thrives because of its strong community. And two amazing artists join me on the show — Ophira Eisenberg and Bethany Van Delft. Ophira was the host of the long-running NPR show “Ask Me Another” and just launched her new podcast, “Parenting is a Joke.” Bethany is a performer and a producer at the Boston Comedy and Women in Comedy Festivals and was named Boston’s Best Comedian several times. It’s a very funny and not to be missed episode.
 

Ophira Eisenberg

Watch her comedy special: Plant-Based Jokes

Listen to her podcast: Parenting is a Joke

Visit her website: ophiraeisenberg.com

Follow her on social media: @ophirae

Bethany Van Delft

Listen to her debut album on Spotify: I am Not a Llama

Visit her website: https://www.bethanyvandelft.com

And follow her on instagram @BethanyVanDelft

Hilary Graham is one of the hardest working artists I know and she’s learned to build failure into her writing process. Her talent and perseverance has landed her in Hollywood, where she’s worked on some of the top shows, including "Bones"and "Orange is the New Black," and she was the show runner for the Netflix series "Social Distance." Join us as she talks about overcoming obstacles and the challenges and rewards of writing for TV and film.

Follow Hilary on Instagram @HilaryGraham.

Watch Social Distance

Check out Brad Montague's work

Learn more about:

• Ross McElwee
• Rob Moss
• Jenji Kohan

And a blast from the past: Stephen J. Cannell title card

International award-winning puppeteer Dan Hurlin talks about starting a successful theater at age 10, how financial constraints prompted him to create a solo show where he played a cast of 60 characters, his love of toy theaters and puppets, and  his new approach to puppetry.

The music in this episode is from "Disfarmer" and was composed by Dan Moses Schreier.

Go to triciaroseburt.com for links to Dan's work. 

Check out Dan's website.

View an excerpt from Disfarmer.

See the trailer for the documentary Puppet.

Learn about Nathanael West.

Explore the work of John Cage.

See Julia Jacquette's work.

Award-winning visual and performance artist Rachel Perry challenges every excuse you may have for not stepping towards your creative dreams. She attended art school at 36 while raising a first grader -- not the most practical time to begin an intense program of study -- and her work is now exhibited in collections around the world. You are not too old and it is not too late!
 

Check out Rachel's work here.

Twitter: @racyperry

Instagram: @rachelperrystudio

A preview of her collaboration with composer Ted Hearne and director Daniel Fish In Your Mouth; text by Dorothea Lasky

 

Other resources:

The Unknown Craftsman by Soetsu Yanagi

The Relationship Between Use and Beauty artwork by Tricia Rose Burt

In this episode, we do things a little differently! We hear a story from Kelly Horan, Deputy Editor of the Ideas Section at the Boston Globe, and then she joins me for some conversation about logic, intuition, the creative process, and the thrill of eccentric adventures.

Resources:

The Road Less Traveled, by M. Scott Peck

Becoming Duchess Goldblatt, by Anonymous

Whack on the Side of the Head, by Roger Von Oech

Bathtubs Over Broadway