How can we, and should we protect human creativity as AI reshapes how art is made, valued, and distributed? 

In this episode, host Rachel Paul is joined by Abbi Press, a musician and the Global Lead of Business Affairs (Creative) at Uber, to explore the rapidly shifting creative landscape. Together, they unpack the tension many creatives feel today: fear of AI replacing human labor, the realities of making art under capitalism, and how the value of human-made work may evolve in an AI-accelerated world.

Drawing from her early life immersed in music and her current role bridging creatives, legal systems, and technology, Abbi offers a rare, nuanced perspective on authorship, creative labor, and why human craft may matter more, not less, as technology advances.

Abbi Press is also the author of The Double Helix, a Substack exploring the messy, evolving intersection of art, strategy, and technology.

If you’ve ever wondered who I am (hi, it’s me, Rachel Paul), this one’s for you.

For artist Risa Iwasaki Culbertson, softness wasn’t always the obvious tool for getting through hard things, but today, it’s at the center of her art practice. On the surface, her world is full of giant, whimsical needle-felted characters and objects, sculpted from wool into bright, playful forms. 

But as we hear from Risa, that softness takes on a deeper meaning. Growing up between Japan and the United States, navigating family illness and grief, and learning to turn big feelings into something gentle and inviting, she’s used her practice as a way to heal, connect, and create places of belonging. In this episode, we explore how art can help us metabolize the uncertainty and heaviness of a full-spectrum human experience, turning it into something joyful, tender, and deeply meaningful.

Risa is a fiber artist, illustrator, storyteller, and owner of Papa Llama, a playful stationery company based out of San Francisco.

What does it mean to do “the bold thing” when the easy thing is to stay the same?

In this episode, host Rachel Paul sits down with Brooks E. Scott, executive coach and founder of Merging Path Coaching, and Lana Marks, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology. Together, they explore what it means to lead with empathy, embrace personal growth, and take courageous action in both work and life.

Brooks’ path to leadership coaching is anything but ordinary. He’s taught fifth graders, served as a New Jersey State Trooper, led executive protection for Meta’s CEO and COO, and managed safety operations for a global cybersecurity company. Today, as the founder of Merging Path Coaching, he draws on all those experiences to help leaders communicate more effectively and lead with empathy. His CreativeMornings San Francisco talk on the theme BLOSSOM inspired this conversation.

Lana Marks is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology, interested in many forms of healing, including trauma work, self-compassion, mindfulness practices, and fighting burnout in her field. She attended Brooks’ CreativeMornings talk and brings a psychological lens to the conversation.

What if every moment (past, present, and future) exists all at once? And what can that teach us about creativity and design?

In this episode, Rachel Paul sits down with Vicki Tan, a product designer at Pinterest and author of "Ask This Book A Question," and Stephanie Cheng, a product advisor and career coach at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Together, they explore how our environments, tools, and personal journeys shape the way we create and connect.

Vicki shares insights from her CreativeMornings San Francisco talk on the theme NOMAD, where she introduced the block universe theory, the concept that all moments exist simultaneously in four-dimensional spacetime, and how it can transform the way we approach design and innovation. Stephanie joins the conversation as an audience member from Vicki’s talk, adding a unique third perspective as they reflect on the challenges and possibilities of modern creativity and design.

This episode explores:

• The surprising ways our physical environments influence creativity and personal growth
• How to reclaim creative agency in a world of constant digital distractions
• Vicki’s book, Ask This Book a Question, and how it teaches better decision-making through cognitive bias
• The tension between business goals and human connection in tech product design
• Practical practices for staying grounded in the present while imagining future possibilities

This episode explores all the ways mentorship shows up in life, not just in the traditional “mentor–mentee” dynamic, but in the everyday exchanges, micro-moments, and unexpected connections that help us grow.

I’m joined by the amazing Lorée Terry, last month’s CreativeMornings SF speaker, and Maddie Wilson, who attended CreativeMornings for the very first time in July.