Michael Fortune has spent years perfecting his skills, digging into all the possibilities he can explore through his form of craftsmanship. As a result, he is known as one of Canada’s most respected and creative contemporary furniture masters.

He designs innovative and one-of-a-kind objects in wood, with a strong commitment to his creative vision. He’s known for his technical and design expertise, often invited to present lectures and workshops. He has an international clientele and his work has appeared in numerous exhibitions worldwide.

Michael has taught at many schools and craft centers where he is highly respected. To give you an idea, the Marc Adams School of Woodworking in Indiana has a fellowship program for advanced students that’s been named in his honor.

Mentoring and supporting developing artists and craftspeople has been a constant throughout his life. He spearheaded a contemporary internship program that gives emerging craftspeople opportunities to work alongside established makers throughout North America. In addition, he’s volunteered his time and expertise to Woodlinks, a joint Canadian/U.S. not-for-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing vocational training in secondary schools throughout North America.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Michael about how mentor/intern relationships have influenced his own career, how he developed his personal design style, and his strong creative visions for projects.

Say hi to Michael:
  Website: http://www.michaelfortune.com
  Instagram

People who inspire Michael:
     - Alan Peters (British furniture designer maker), Wendell Castle (American furniture artist), Wendy Maruyama (American artist, furniture maker and educator), Kristina Madsen (American furniture designer, builder and woodworker).

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/creativepulsepodcast
  Twitter https://twitter.com/CreativePulseTW

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

William “Grit” Laskin is not only one of the world’s most talented and respected makers of steel-string, classical and flamenco guitars, but he expertly adds unique designs to the guitars he builds through intricate engraved inlay artwork. 

His fans include legendary guitarists such as Rik Emmett, Tom Cochrane, k.d.lang, Jesse Cook, Garnet Rogers, and Stan Rogers. And Canada’s National Museum of History has four of his guitars in its permanent collection.

A short list of his achievements and recognitions include:

• receiving Canada’s prestigious Saidye Bronfman Award For Excellence in fine crafts, the first and only instrument maker to be honoured
• being an elected fellow of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts
• receiving the Estelle Klein lifetime achievement Award from the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals, and 
• being a recipient of Canada’s highest civilian honour, the Order Of Canada

He is a leader in his field, co-founding the Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans, an international trade organization geared to professional builders and repairers of musical instruments. He’s also a co-founder of BOREALIS RECORDS, Canada’s first national Folk music label and a co-founder of the Canadian Folk Music Awards.

It may not surprise you to hear that he’s also a musician, songwriter and singer. He plays the guitar, mandolin, Northumbrian smallpipes and concertina and has recorded four solo albums of original music.

Add to all of that the title of “Author” with books including “A Guitarmaker’s Canvas; The Inlay Art Of Grit Laskin” as well as his most recent publication: “Grand Complications – 50 Guitars+50 Stories”.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Grit about how he developed his style as a guitar maker (luthier), his creative process when crafting a new instrument, what drives him to innovate, and what inspires him to incorporate so many storytelling elements into his engraved inlay designs.

Say hi to Grit and learn more about his creative process:
  Website: https://williamlaskin.com
  Facebook
  His book: Grand Complications: 50 Guitars + 50 Stories

Group Of Seven Guitar Project:
Jesse Cook plays the guitar created by Grit Laskin that was inspired by  F. H. Varley, a member of the Group of Seven as part of a project at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection Gallery.  

Show mentions:
     - Grit recommends firing up your creativity with this book by Betty Edwards: “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain”

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/creativepulsepodcast
  Twitter https://twitter.com/CreativePulseTW

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Sage Tyrtle is a kind of special storyteller. She creates profound connections with audiences as they listen to her personal, expertly-crafted and engagingly-presented stories. She’s performed all over the world, sharing stories that vary in length and topic. Some are finely tuned and developed over a considerable time frame, and others are improvised on the spot.

Her talents have been recognized internationally. She’s won the Moth StorySlam multiple times, the Moth’s Eastern Grand Slam and has appeared on the PBS television show “Stories From The Stage”. She’s been featured on NPR and CBC Radio, MacLean’s magazine and the Toronto Star. And she’s regularly invited to be part of arts and culture events and festivals.

She’s generous with her talent, leading workshops and offering tips to aspiring storytellers so they can develop their own skills too.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Sage about her personal storytelling style, how she connects with an audience, and what techniques make a storyteller really effective.

Say hi to Sage:
  Website: https://tyrtle.com
  Instagram
  Twitter
  Facebook

Show mentions:
     - Sage recommends searching sites such as Eventbrite for upcoming events

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/creativepulsepodcast
  Twitter https://twitter.com/CreativePulseTW

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Chavalia Mwamba is creative to her core and applies this way of being to her passion of creating unforgettable scents. A self-taught perfumer, she has experimented with scents and ingredients extensively in order to create the best combinations for her clients.

She founded and operates a niche perfumery, Pink MahogHany, and says she focuses on making unique aromatic experiences by using essential oils, organic extracts and unlimited creativity.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Chavalia about her creative process for developing a new scent, how her musical background influences her work, and how her creativity is fueled by the Pink MahogHany family on social media.

Say hi to Chavalia and Pink MahogHany (PM):
  Chavalia Instagram
  PM Instagram
  PM Facebook
  PM Web Shop

Show mentions and people who inspire Chavalia:
     - Hans Hendley and Glenn Davis (aka @mrcologne76)
     - Perfumer & Flavorist Magazine

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativepulsepodcast
  Twitter: https://twitter.com/CreativePulseTW

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

James Miles is dedicated to revolutionizing arts education. He focuses on igniting the creative power of young people through culturally engaging learning experiences. After starting his professional life as an actor, he soon found himself drawn to the education side of the arts.

Since finding his passion two decades ago he has served as the Director of Education at the Urban Arts Partnership in New York City, where he created the Fresh Education program that used original hip hop music and theatre to boost academic success. He’s taught theater and education as a professor at New York University as well as facilitated workshops and designed curriculum for numerous theatre organizations.

Today, he continues to contribute to the growth and development of young people as the Executive Director of Arts Corps, a nationally recognized youth arts education organization. He’s also a member of the Advisory Board for SXSW EDU (South by Southwest EDU), and is a mayoral appointee to the Seattle Arts Commission.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with James about why the arts reach people on such a personal level, how arts education needs to be taught in the way that youth learn best, and how we can support youth so they can find their voices and creatively lead transformation.

Say hi to James:
  Website: https://freshprofessor.com
  Instagram: @fresh_professor
  Arts Corps website: https://artscorps.org
  Arts Corps Instagram: @artscorps

Show mentions and people who inspire James:
     - People who inspire: The Roots, Questlove, Black Thought
     - TEDx Seattle Talk: Why education needs hip hop

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
  Instagram: @creativepulsepodcast
  Twitter: @CreativePulseTW

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Brooke Warner has spent her life finding ways to help people share their stories. She had a successful career in the traditional publishing industry before co-founding She Writes Press, an independent publishing company that was honoured as the 2019 Independent Publisher of the Year.

As an author, she’s published several books including Write On, Sisters! and Green-light Your Book. She’s also written books on the topic of memoir writing and helps people craft and shape their own stories to share with an audience.

Brooke is among a unique group of people who have spent time as a Tumbleweed at the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, France and in this conversation she shares about her experience living in this iconic bookstore.

She’s inspired many with her TEDx talk: “Green-Light Revolution: Your Creative Life on Your Terms”. And weekly, you can tune into her podcast called Write-Minded: Weekly Inspiration for Writers which provides a blend of inspiration and real talk about the ups and downs of the writing life.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Brooke about why she’s inspired to bring important stories to the forefront, how she followed her heart to stay true to her professional and personal goals, and her belief that everyone has the ability to green-light their own creative projects.

Say hi to Brooke:
  Website: http://brookewarner.com
  She Writes Press website
  Magic of Memoir website

Show mentions and people who inspire Brooke:
     - People who inspire: Lidia Yuknavitch, Elizabeth Acevedo, Elizabeth Gilbert
     - TEDx Talk Green-Light Revolution: Your Creative Life on Your Terms
     - Being a Tumbleweed at Shakespeare and Company

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/creativepulsepodcast
  Twitter https://twitter.com/CreativePulseTW

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Through their acts of creative, joyful activism they bring smiles to the faces of millions of people and raise thousands of dollars for community-serving organizations. Hasmeet Singh Chandok and Kunwar Singh are the co-founders of the Maritime Bhangra Group, sharing high-energy dance performances through videos and live events.

Their creative projects and events bring attention to, and raise funds for, community-serving organizations. This group is seriously committed to serving their community! In their videos they showcase bhangra dancers in beautiful and iconic locations such as Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia and millions of people have tuned in.

They are featured in a documentary produced by CBC called BEHIND THE BHANGRA BOYS which is available through CBC Gem in Canada and is being released internationally this year.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Hasmeet and Kunwar about how they got started, why they’re so committed to supporting others in their community, and their creative process for creating and sharing new dances and videos.

Say hi to the Maritime Bhangra Group:
  Instagram: @maritimebhangra
  Facebook: /maritimebhangra
  YouTube
  Twitter: @maritimebhangra

Connect with Hasmeet:
  Website: www.singhsvoyage.com
  Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @singhsvoyage

Show mentions:
     - Behind the Bhangra Boys documentary
     - Maritime Bhangra Group video at Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia
     - Maritime Bhangra Group Snow Shoveler Bhangra

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
  Instagram @creativepulsepodcast
  Twitter @CreativePulseTW

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Karen Evans Moratz  is an accomplished musician who is the principal flutist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, author of the bestselling book Flute For Dummies, and an adjunct instructor of flute and an Artist-in-Residence at Butler University’s Jordan College of the Arts.

She has studied and performed all over the world, and is extremely active in her community, as the founding member of both the Greater Indianapolis Flute Club and the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, as well as being the former coordinator of the National Flute Association’s Young Artist Competition.

In addition to her passion for music she’s also a yoga instructor, teaching at several yoga studios in Indianapolis and incorporating mind/body techniques when she teaches flute to her students.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Karen about how she was drawn to the flute, her love of languages (she speaks four!), and why she connects with yoga and music in such a meaningful way.

Say hi to Karen:
  Website: https://karenmoratz.com
  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenmoratzflute
  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kmoratz
  Yoga website: https://suryasta-yoga.com/about
  Yoga Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suryastastudios
  Yoga Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suryastayoga 
 
Show mentions and people who inspire Karen:

• People who inspire: William Ingham Brooke Bennett aka WIBB, Nick McKeegan, Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Livingston Taylor, Maria Callas, Cecilia Bartoli, Joni Mitchell, Freddie Mercury, Leslie Odom Jr.
• Movies: The BFG (Big Friendly Giant), Amadeus
• Martha Graham quote

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/creativepulsepodcast
  Twitter https://twitter.com/CreativePulseTW

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Miranda Currie is a children’s entertainer who helps fuel a love of music for her audiences. She writes and performs songs that help kids learn Indigenous languages and to be proud of their culture in a fun and engaging way. She says that at the core of everything she does, she hopes to change the Indigenous narrative in Canada in a positive way.

She’s a talented multidisciplinary artist who was nominated for Indigenous Songwriter of the Year by the Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2015 for her album Up In the Air, and released her first children’s album, Bouncing in the Boreal, in 2018. In 2019 she participated in an Indigenous Songwriter residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity where she worked on her second northern Indigenous children's album. Most recently she was selected to participate in the National Screen Institute’s IndigiDocs filmmaker training program and the documentary she’s creating about her Canadian Inuit sled dog Ellesmere will be available soon.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Miranda about how she developed a passion for writing songs and performing for children, why she incorporates Indigenous languages into her music, and how she’s exploring more ways of creative expression through filmmaking.

Say hi to Miranda:
  Website: http://www.mirandacurrie.ca
  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirandacurrie.ca   

Show mentions and people who inspire Miranda:
     - People who inspire: Leela Gilday, Fred Penner, Vivaldi
     - Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity: https://www.banffcentre.ca
     - National Screen Institute’s IndigiDocs program:
       https://nsi-canada.ca/courses/nsi-indigidocs
     - Snow Castle: http://www.snowking.ca

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/creativepulsepodcast
  Twitter https://twitter.com/CreativePulseTW

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Emma FitzGerald uses her considerable artistic talents to sketch unique details in cities and special places so she can capture a little of their magic. She’s an illustrator and author who has explored dual paths of visual art and architecture. This ultimately led her to opportunities to work with publishers to create and release several books such as “Hand Drawn Halifax”, “Hand Drawn Vancouver” and “Sketch by Sketch Along Nova Scotia's South Shore”.

Emma is a woman of the world: born in Lesotho, a small mountainous kingdom in Southern Africa, moving to Vancouver, BC in Canada at a young age, spending time in Ireland and France, and later choosing Halifax, Nova Scotia as her home. She says that these “travels have instilled a keen interest in people and places.”

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Emma about her desire to artistically capture the places she loves, how living all around the world influenced her creative eye, and how she stays inspired to create.

Say hi to Emma:
  Website: https://emmafitzgerald.ca
  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmafitz_art
  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/houseportrait
 
Show mentions and people who inspire Emma:
     - Anna Wyman, choreographer, artistic director and dance instructor:
       https://www.thedancecurrent.com/column/remembering-anna-wyman
     - Kat Frick Miller: http://katfrickmiller.com
     - Joanna Close: http://joannaclose.ca

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/creativepulsepodcast
  Twitter https://twitter.com/CreativePulseTW

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com