Your Creative Journey

This week’s guest is Dana Middleton.

Dana writes books for kids. Her debut, The Infinity Year of Avalon James, was nominated for the Young Hoosier Book Award and selected for Oregon’s Battle of the Books. She is also the author of Open If You Dare and The Young American’s Unofficial Guide to the Very British World of Harry Potter. 

Her next middle-grade novel, Truth or Consequences, will be published by Chronicle Books in 2021. 

She also coaches creative people at TheAlignedArtist.com

Highlights from this episode:

• Dana's realization to break free from her path as a "shadow artist" and embrace her ability and talent as a writer.
• "What you have to express is important and how you get there may be very different than how someone else gets there. That does not mean that your expression isn't valid."
• The concept of being "the tortoise and the hare"
• The benefits that Dana discovered for creative breakthrough with EFT tapping 
• Common blocks that she sees with creatives
• "Be brave!"

Twitter:  @danakmiddleton
Instagram: @the_aligned_artist @danamiddletonbooks
Facebook: @TappingBootcamp @theAlignedArtist @danamiddletonbooks

Peter Atkins is the author of the novels MORNINGSTAR, BIG THUNDER, and MOONTOWN and the screenplays HELLRAISER II, HELLRAISER III, HELLRAISER IV, and WISHMASTER. His short fiction has appeared in such anthologies as THE MUSEUM OF HORRORS, DARK DELICACIES II, HELLBOUND HEARTS, and GHOSTS, and has been selected eight times for one or more of the various “Year’s Best” anthologies. His recent book, RUMORS OF THE MARVELOUS, a collection of his short fiction, was a finalist for the British Fantasy Award. He is the co-founder with Glen Hirshberg of The Rolling Darkness Revue, an annual folly they commit at whatever theatre will have them.

Highlights from this episode:

• Growing up in Post WW II England and the profound effect American movies, rock n’ roll, and comic books had on Pete.
• Meeting Clive Barker and Doug Bradley as they started their theatre company Dog Company
• Pete’s rock n’ roll days with his band The Chase and the night they heard their song on the radio
• Tips for aspiring writers – do this because you love it
• The challenges a writer faces

BONUS CONTENT:

Kevin Gregg Show expanded interviews with Pete from 2009
Kevin and Pete's commentaries for Universal classic horror movies
The Wolf Man, Frankenstein, and The Bride of Frankenstein

David Burke has appeared in over 50 different film and television productions, mostly playing the good-guy-turned-bad in all the CSI's as well as countless commercials.

You would have seen David on such show as How to get away with Murder, Nashville, Notorious, NCIS: New Orleans, Castle, Grey’s Anatomy,
Private Practice, Brothers & Sisters, The Closer, House, Chuck & The Mentalist.

David also originated the role of Arthur in the TV’s first iteration of the cult sitcom,
The Tick with Patrick Warburton.

David is also the founder and Co-Executive Producer at Ten28 Avenue P Productions, a film production company dedicated to telling stories for their clients with clarity and creativity, emphasizing optimism and a positive message.

Highlights from this episode:

• His first audition consisted of walking across the room and singing Happy Birthday
• The importance of kind, talented and supportive mentors
• Lessons learned when being cast as a series regular on a TV show
• "Ignorance is bliss"
• The professionalism showed by Patrick Warburton and Bryan Cranston 
• The day a surprise visitor was on the set of "How to get away with Murder" during David's scene.
• The fun that can be found in pressure

David Burke at Ten 28 Avenue P Productions
https://ten28avenuep.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ten28avep/

This week Kevin and Paul talk with producer, writer, and director Heather Provost

Heather is a Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League Award-nominated producer. 
Critically acclaimed hits on Broadway include Reasons To Be Pretty by Neil LaBute (three Tony nominations including Best Play) and the musical [title of show] (Tony Nomination for Best Book of a Musical). 
Heather also produced and co-directed the feature film Racing Colt. 
She and writing partner Scott Damian most recently wrote A Joyous Christmas and Season for Love for Hallmark Channel. 
She is the current Producing Artistic Director at The Colony Theatre in Burbank.

Highlights from this episode:

• Heather talks about her career starting as an actor and how her Mom helped to instill a spirit of courage and fearlessness
• Faking her way into a New York waitress job
• Making the move to L.A. and discovering her passion and talent for producing
• Taking the leap back to New York as a Broadway producer and landing a Tony nomination for her work
• Navigating a very difficult and challenging year in New York
• Tips as a writer. Serving the story. Focusing on what is going to make a script the best that it can be, and make it sellable. 
• Organization is key for the writer (and artist)
• “The key to having it all is knowing that you already do.”

Additional show highlights:

• We’re now live streaming episodes on YouTube on Tuesday nights at 8pm.
• Vaudacity Network has crossed the 1K subscribers
• We read viewers comments from YouTube live stream, which includes unpacking some funny family dynamics in Kevin’s home

Find Heather Provost at 

https://www.instagram.com/psirulehpro/

https://twitter.com/psirulehpro

Pressure is par for the course for an artist.

This week Paul and Kevin discuss how they have handled moments when monumental curveballs have been thrown their way

Highlights from this week’s show

• Noah goes to the dentist
• Kevin talks about the pressure he experienced while working on projects for Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
• Paul talks about a tense experience as a 911 operator
• Paul’s acting coach breaking everything down to a moment

SPECIAL NOTE:
Your Creative Journey Live! will be streaming on YouTube on Tuesday, Sept 8th at 8 pm (PST)
Join us for live Q&A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SQy5OfX5ZM

Also mentioned on this show:
Arye Gross
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
6 Days to Air

Paul and Kevin talk with filmmaker Jared White who directed the documentary 
“100 Years From Home”

On the 100th anniversary of genocide, an American woman ventures to Armenia and Turkey in search of her great-grandparents’ long-lost house. This is a film about family, identity, and survival through a deeply personal lens.

The film premieres on PBS SoCal Tuesday, Sept 1 at 8:30 pm

Highlights from this episode:

• The challenges of making the documentary and discovering how to tell this story through the viewpoint of his wife, Lilit Pilikian
• The differences between narrative and documentary filmmaking
• Navigating film festival submissions
• The importance of this film, especially when it comes to telling the truth

100yearsfromhome.com

"It's too late."
"I've missed my opportunity."
"There's no way I can create at this age, I just don't have the time."

Maybe these are phrases you've told yourself.

In this week's episode, Paul and Kevin talk about the mindset of thinking you're too old.

Spoiler alert: You're not too old!

Highlights from this episode include:

• Updates on Paul's film
• Discussing some origins of recent "younger is better" culture
• You have no idea when your life is over. You must try.
• Stories of three individuals (Katharine Drexel, Noah Purifoy, and Peggy Rowe) demonstrating that there is not an age limit on your impact and output

Don't forget to get your free tool to Get Your Creative Work Done at
kevingregg.com/work

Portraying a Jedi Knight on the stage of Tomorrowland Terrace at Disneyland, Scott Damian, leaned down to talk to a little boy named Ben who had been chosen to be in the show.

Ben was having difficulty speaking in front of the audience because of a severe stutter.

Scott’s eyes went wide, because years ago... that had been him.

In this week’s episode of Your Creative Journey, Kevin and Paul talk with actor/writer/director/producer Scott Damian.

We talk about his journey battling a severe stutter as a child which he wrote about in “Voice: A Stutterer’s Odyssey”

Scott also talks about the gift that art gave him to discover his own voice.

Highlights from this episode:

• Scott talks about his first leading role in a high school production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” He pressed through the immense challenge of regulating his stammer in spite of an incredibly stressful situation.
• Scott's journey as a writer thanks to the help of authors Drs. Richard and Rachel Heller who happened to see him in a show at Disneyland
• Key elements in telling a story whether novel-length or a screenplay
• The responsibility of the artist to mentor others along the way
• A baker from Louisiana who had an impact on Scott

An uplifting and inspiring episode.

Books mentioned in the episode:
Voice: A Stutterer's Odyssey by Scott Damian
The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield

https://www.scottdamian.com/

In this episode, Paul and Kevin interview Kenny Landmon, an actor and director, who created a short film (“Dating Under Quarantine”) while under COVID-19 stay-at-home orders in Los Angeles.

Highlights from this episode:

• Kenny discusses the challenges of being under lockdown and how that affected the process of making a film. 
• He talks about the experiences of remotely directing actors and collaborating with his editor and composer for the film while rushing to get the film completed before a festival deadline.
• The major feelings an artist experiences while working on a project: passion, procrastination, and fear.
• How “Home Alone” has been a huge inspiration for Kenny and this film
• At one point he had to meet a guy in an alley at night to get gear for his film.
• Kenny’s tenacity at finding the right people to help him with the post-production process.

A must listen episode for aspiring filmmakers.

https://www.instagram.com/datingunderquarantine/

https://twitter.com/datingunderqt

In this episode Kevin and Paul interview singer/actress Jamie Carganilla.

She’s had quite a career that began with performing professionally at age 8 in the Broadway Tour of Les Miserables. She is a graduate from NYU as a Music Major and has performed in several shows at The Disneyland Resort.

Jamie made an intriguing pivot in her career 10 years ago when she became a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department!

Enjoy the episode as we talk about her journey and the challenges of writing her first song.

Check out Jamie’s new single:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b2_TWFKnwI&feature=youtu.be

Also, check out Jamie's interview on The Today Show
https://www.today.com/video/stage-performer-opens-up-about-her-second-act-as-a-police-officer-82769477780