Michelle welcomes photographer, digital media maven and man with many hats Bhargava Chiluveru. Bhargava and his wife Anu own Chil Media and Fourofour.co, which are bastions of stylish branding and artistic expression. Throughout the Cultured conversation, Bharagava shares how Adobe Photoshop lit the match that set his creativity on fire, and how he got the idea to turn Atlanta into a post-apocalyptic alien universe in his latest photo manipulation series.

Meet illustrator and animator Peter Gulsvig. Pete has worked on FX’s Archer, Adult Swim, PBS Kids, and more. In fact, his own animated series, Tammy’s Tiny Tea Time, was accepted into the Sundance Film Festival in December 2017! In this episode, Pete and Michelle discuss winding journey that led him to animation, what it takes to break into the industry, how to deal with the ebbs and flows of freelancing, and the pitfalls of perfectionism.

On Episode 20 of The Cultured Podcast, Michelle welcomes Jenny Sadre-Orafai to the show. Jenny is an acclaimed poet and a professor at Kennesaw State University. Her newest book of poetry, Malak, is as much about her grandmother, the book’s namesake and a mystic who read people’s futures in coffee grounds, as much as it is about Jenny’s own experiences with metaphysical miracles. Jenny shares how poetry gave way to a lifelong journey of self-discovery, awareness, and putting complex emotions into word

Michelle welcomes the gregarious and talented Amber Nash to The Cultured Podcast. While you may not recognize Amber’s face, you will surely recognize her voice! She is the voice actress for Pam Poovey on FXX’s Archer, a massive hit animated series that’s already on its ninth season. Amber shares how a chance evening of improv made her choose a career as an actor. Listen to the full episode to hear Pam Poovey’s outrageous guest appearance!

Atlantans may know about Nate Damen—he’s the guy walking around the city with a glowing 1969 RCA TV on his head. Nate, better known as ATLTVHEAD, joins Michelle for a Cultured chat about performance art, wearable technology, and whether Nate is on the good or bad side of a robot invasion. Nate opens up about how feelings of loneliness paired with creative ingenuity to bring his charming, lovable alter ego to life.

Join Michelle as she heads to Broadway for a chat with actress and singer Adrianna Hicks, who is playing Celie in Broadway’s North American tour of The Color Purple. Michelle and Adrianna dissect the differences between starring in musicals and stage plays, leading to a fascinating look at the head-to-toe and mind-to-body dedication to takes to be a stage actor of any kind.

Master storyteller Doc Lawrence joins Michelle on The Cultured Podcast for a discussion on the Southern tradition of storytelling in the U.S. And boy, does he have some stories up his sleeve. Doc reveals that the best way to tell a story is not to sit in a room and put pen to paper, but rather to listen intently to those around you. Everyone has a story and if you listen with empathy and open ears, you are one step away from capturing the true essence of their story.

Venture inside the mind of Matthew Terrell, who uses a 1979 Pentax K1000 to capture ethereal images of intimacy, nature and self-expression through 35 mm double exposure.

On Episode 14 of The Cultured Podcast, Tami Katz-Freiman is Michelle’s Sherpa into the world of contemporary art curation. Tami recently curated Gal Weinstein’s site-specific installation Sun Stand Still, which represented Israel at the world-renowned Venice Biennale. Tami explains that her job as a curator is to translate or mediate artworks. This is no easy job, and one that includes writing, fundraising, public speaking, and many other responsibilities.

Michelle chats with modern choreographer, dancer, teacher and filmmaker Juel D. Lane. Together, they dig at the roots of what it takes to create choreography that sparks dialogue while making hearts flutter. Whether he’s paying homage to an old-school Atlanta dance called “yeek” or giving a voice to the LGBTQIA community, Juel’s creative vision offers an extraordinary glimpse into the mind of an artist whose preferred tool is the human body.