Project Popsicle

Evelyn Dufner is not just an artist; she is a storyteller. When she says, “Embrace the mess,” it is a challenge for all us to be creative, open, fun, and to be in the moment. As an artist, she wears many hats to express her unlimited creative energy. In this episode, we have a fun and energizing conversation with Evelyn about her life as an artist and what drives her to produce an average of 50+ paintings a year. Evelyn says, “Art is a safe place for me to work and find peace.” Her art connects with the world through concepts of self-awareness, evolution, sensuality, and vulnerability. As you listen to Evelyn, you can feel her enthusiasm, passion, and compassion for her art, and her intuitive drive. She continues to be a creative force in the art community through photography, artist journaling, social media, and other avenues that give her work a voice.

Evelyn has been a featured artist in Nude Night in both Tampa and Orlando since 2012, has had open studio days among the Dunedin Annual Studio Waltz, has had works included in the St Petersburg ART WALK, is a member of the Professional Association of Visual Artists, and has been showcased in various places in the Greater Tampa Bay area.

Rachel S. Hunter is a performer, choreographer, and educator who has a strong passion for dance. Her solid work ethic comes from her parents, and her creative curiosity about ‘how things work’ was inspired by Rachel’s love of Legos at five years old. In this episode of Project Popsicle, she discusses her views on creativity, the excitement of taking the long road to learning, and the challenges she faces as a creative artist in her career. Rachel enjoys teaching contemporary dance, jazz, ballet, composition, and production courses. She is the production manager and adjunct faculty at Florida State University School of Dance and an adjunct professor at Tallahassee Community College.

Project Popsicle is back after a holiday hiatus!

Screenwriters Claudia Johnson and Matt Stevens have been writing together over 25 years. In this episode, they discuss how their partnership has been rewarding because of their ability to balance the personal with the professional in their writing career. They have learned how to check their egos at the door and “give each other permission to suck.” This fun and creative duo has written award-winning screenplays. Their book about collaboration, Script Partners, includes interviews with some of the most successful writing teams in the industry. During this interview you can feel the respect, trust, and admiration they have developed over the years for what truly can be called a beautiful friendship.

Tallahassee artist Dan Taylor’s creative journey began with the idea to use his yard as a canvas for his imagination. After making several trips to Lowe’s and acting on this desire, the seed was planted and an artist was born. Since then, Dan has branched out to a career in abstract oil painting, designing unique jewelry, and producing large scale garden sculptures. He discusses how it all happened, his process of claiming and creating, and of putting his art out there to be seen, purchased and admired in the community. Dan’s story is refreshing and inspiring for all creatives. “Fortune Favors the Bold” is a powerful theme that runs throughout his work.

Elizaveta Friesem is a scholar and writer with an international background. In this episode, she discusses her new book, Media is Us: Understanding Communication and Moving Beyond Blame. We learn about the personal events in her life that propelled her to uncharted territory on the road to self-discovery. With a PhD from Russia and another one from Temple University in Media and Communication, she is well versed about media and the desire we all have to connect.

You can find her book here: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538150511/Media-Is-Us-Understanding-Communication-and-Moving-beyond-Blame

Elizaveta's writing also lives on her website: https://www.elizavetafriesem.com/

Dametria Dee Selmore (actor, writer, producer, director, organizer, and teacher) discusses her mission to create platforms for people of color to express their unique voice in the arts. As a talented creative, she shares with us her personal journey and what she has learned over the years. Dee’s wisdom is shaped by her being fearless, open, passionate, unapologetic, and determined in pursuing her dreams. Her desire for diversity in the arts is evident in this fun and lively discussion.

At 10, award-winning author and screenwriter Claudia Johnson's desire to be a writer was born. From an early age, she knew writing would take her places; some imaginary and some very real, but all inspiring and empowering. In this conversation, Claudia discusses how the decision to be an advocate for truth put her on a lifelong journey of discovering the power of connection, passion, and empathy in storytelling.

Actor Patricia Joseph recounts how asking challenging life questions inspired her to pursue her dream. She discusses how she builds characters using her life experiences. She always seems to meet the right person at the right time.

Nipa's Type of Art: Visual Storytelling | Project Popsicle's co-host/creator, Nipa Eason, is interviewed by co-host/creator Bert A. Mitchell about her passions and creative process of producing art and her early influences in her journey.

Check out more of her work at: https://nipaeason.com/

Author and teacher Katherine Poyner-Del Vento passionately discusses her practical and inspiring process of writing. She shares how she balances her writing time with the responsibilities of family life.