The CREATIVE BACKSTORY: Recent Episodes
Kelly Planer & Alan Fleming
I love what creatives produce, but often, the story behind the story is what really inspires me. I want to know where ideas come from. That’s where the magic happens. That’s the Creative Backstory.
Kiff Vanden Heuvel is one of those actors who loves what he does. From on-screen roles to video hero and cartoon voices, Kiff is a versatile actor with the best stories. In addition, he happened to attend Calvin University with the host, so we had loads of catching up to do.
Sara Milonovich had her first band at age 9 – and went pro at age 16. Now, as an adult, Sara looks at every opportunity that she finds – and jumps in. From fronting Sara Milonovich & Daisycutter, as the fiddler for Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys, on a theater stage with “Come From Away,” as teacher, workshop leader, writer, and more, Sara understands the ins and outs of the music industry. Join our conversation – and try to keep up!
Gangstagrass is the artful fusion of bluegrass and hip hop - two uniquely American music genres that have an awful lot in common, if you think about it. Lyrics from both genres (like theater - like opera - like most art forms, actually) often discuss the struggles to find love, acceptance, and our places in the world. It’s very cool music. The band’s mastermind, Rench, an in-demand country and hip hop producer in Brooklyn, NY, curated likeminded musicians - and soon after, released a free download. FX Network took notice, adding Gangstagrass’ “Long Hard Times to Come” as the theme song for their series, Justified. Today, 4 albums in, not to mention a pretty good showing on “America’s Got Talent,” and Gangstagrass is touring, sharing intuitive music, and bringing people together. They are: Rench (guitar, vocals, beats), Dan Whitener (banjo, vocals), Brian Farrow (fiddle, vocals), R-SON the Voice of Reason (vocals), and Dolio the Sleuth (vocals).
Carol Angstadt is a Pennsylvania-based graphic designer and artist. You’ve seen her work – without evening knowing it. If you’ve seen the cover of The Southbeach Diet, you’ve seen Carol’s work. You should have seen one of those books… they’ve sold over 22 million copies! She also designed The Quilters Ultimate Visual Guide, a popular title from Rodale. And speaking of… Carol spent 23 years at Rodale, working with teams to create cookbooks, craft books, and more. Today, she can be found in her studio painting, making jewelry, and pursuing her own creativity. Professionally, she’s now freelancing as art director, graphic designer and more. She’s done a great job creating the branding surrounding our podcast’s home at Juxtahub. On the podcast, she discusses all this and more.
Dave Jacoby is a local Lehigh Valley, PA artist - who’s in it to win it - locally. What makes Dave so creative is his desire to connect with locals - to collaborate on innovative gallery spaces, help the “Not-so-artsy” create art - and make art accessible to the community. Join our conversation - and hear about Dave’s take on the importance of creativity - and creative processes - specifically for the Lehigh Valley community.
Joy Ike, singer-songwriter, poet, and activist is on a mission to bring more good into the world. Whether she’s writing a song that encourages us that our hope is coming – or inviting neighborhood kids into her home to craft (and share snacks), or designing T-shirts that encourage us to be better, Joy is a change-maker. As a doer, she’ll demonstrate ways we can all be the change in the world we need to see. In this podcast, Joy sings songs from her album ‘Bigger than Your Box,’ reads poetry – and we talk about process. You won’t want to miss this one.
Nick “That Yoda Guy” Maley is an engaging and fascinating creative. He’s worked on over 50 films as a makeup and FX artist. He was a part of the Yoda design team, and did a lot of work on my favorite Star Wars Characters in the Cantina Scene. He worked on Superman, Highlander, and Krull. He was nominated for an Emmy for his work on 1982 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Following his film days, Nick and his wife, Gloria, moved to Sint Maarten, and today, run a very cool little museum in Philipsburg called That Yoda Guy’s Movie Exhibit. It’s well worth the price of admission. Not only will you see some very rare film artifacts, you’ll get to talk with Nick – and he’s delightful. During our interview, Nick and Kelly discuss his book, “The Do or Not Do Outlook: 77 Steps to Living an Extraordinary Life.” The book offers practical advice, cool behind-the-scenes movie stories, and a little space to add your own notes. It’s a must-read for creatives…
Matt Fetbrandt plays piano bars for a living – which is awesome in and of itself, but I wasn’t sure people really understand the intuitive creative skills Matt has – and demonstrates every night. Not only has he learned hours and hours and hours of cover songs, he’s reinterpreted them, and uses his unique skills to read a crowd and deliver an amazing performance. He does this night after night with no real script. It’s not easy – and in this episode, we break it down. Sound fun? You don’t even know!
Bob Croesus is an old friend of the production team at The Creative Backstory. We met as video producers, and have decided to share our occasional get togethers with all the world. Bob self-publishes children’s books with both local and universal themes. Pip the Mouse and His Magical Christmas celebrates the historical mouse who lived in Allentown, PA’s famed Hess’ Department Store. Winnie the Wrinkled Puppy discusses themes like acceptance – themes that resonate with readers everywhere. We also talk about the imperative urge for creatives to make things. Sound familiar?
Creativity seems even more important when it’s attached to doing some good for the planet. Bethany Tran, armed with a marketing degree (and a job that didn’t suit her), got her foot stuck in the Guatemalan door… where she discovered talented artisans, and a pathway forward to her passion – providing jobs and an insanely cool community of consumers committed to sustainable fashion. Bethany did an about-face, career-wise, now creates sustainable work for her team, and well, we love the shoes.
Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys have been headlining festivals, listening rooms, and notable venues throughout the United States, bringing Jim’s vision of story-rich hillbilly rock n roll to the masses. Jim speaks with Kelly about songwriting, the tools and rules of creativity, and his newest album, “Hillbilly Rock N Roll – Straight from the Still.” Together with the bandmembers Bobby Ristau, Sten Isachsen, Sarah Milonovich, and a string of stellar guest musicians, The Railroad Boys bring nostalgia, wit, and straight-up talent to the stage at every performance.
Charlie Barath is a Hohner-sponsored Harmonica player and blues musician. Since 2017, when wife, Gwenda, encouraged him to go for it, Charlie’s been touring as a solo artist, with his talented friends, among them, bluegrass band “The Millbilies.” That’s where I met him. We got talking about harmonicas – and we’re actually STILL talking about harmonicas. His latest album, “Just Me and My Friends” is an amazing listen – that spans multiple genres, all anchored by Charlie’s solid interpretation of the harmonica.
Tassia Schreiner, artist and activist, is on a mission. She's had a prolific 2020 self-publishing picture books under her Creative Kindness Coalition brand. "The Magical Mythical Bees" imagines a world without the life-giving bees, and tells us how we can do our part to save the planet from a true catastrophe. "Sunny" talks about the life cycle of plants with warmth and compassion. In today's discussion, we talk process, creativity, being artsy with kids, and working towards a better future.
James Macdonald, woodworker extraordinaire, has been creating marquetry and inlay work in his studio in Burnham, Maine since 1989. Marquetry, a form of surface embellishment dates back as far as the early Egyptians and can be seen on hieroglyphs… and most recently, on Jim’s fantastic art guitars. His creative motifs include a series of 60’s icons, and, in May of 2018, James successfully completed a crowd-funding campaign to install his Eat A Peach Tribute Guitar in the Allman Brothers Museum at the Big House. James presented the guitar to the Allman Brothers Museum at the Big House during GABBAfest 2018.
John Mavroudis won't just tell you what's on his mind, he'll show you. His typographic portraits combine skilled illustration with poignant descriptions of current events, sports fan love, and whatever story John wants to tell. With wit, fervor, and compassion, John's subject matter will make you smile, think, and certainly emote. His career as an illustrator has earned him not one, but TWO Magazine Covers of the Year. Find examples of John's work at his website.
Phil Stahl made a career of a simple idea: If you want a local music scene, create one. As an open mic host, Phil encourages anyone who wants to perform to get up and play, sing, recite, and reach for the stars. As a bonus, Phil shares a few of the songs he's written with us - and talks about his brushes with fame, and the colorful characters who fill his open mic slots. For more information about Phil, check him out at philstahl.com, where you can watch his performance, find his next show, and listen to his showcase musicians and friends.
Every creative needs a side hustle. Producer/Director Allen Clement's happens to be sustainable gardening. In this episode, Allen talks about the day his video about Crawfisherman in the Louisiana Swamps went viral... Then, we'll discuss the Emmy-Nominated "Dismantling Democracy," the three-part docu-series now streaming on Prime.
Walter Parks is a singer/songwriter with a view of the world that's always different, always inspiring, and certainly unique. After a decade of travel with legendary Richie Havens, Walter is now exploring his own music - sometimes with bands, sometimes as a solo artist - and usually with a creative twist on the world. His recent project "Haunting Georgia Hollars was produced in conjunction with the Library of Congress. It's not to be missed. On today's podcast, Walter talks about creativity, the divine commission of artists - and of course, a little bit about butter.t to be missed. On today's podcast, Walter talks about creativity, the divine commission of artists - and of course, a little bit about butter.
Irish dance enjoys a storied history - a history that Pamela Bastek is helping to both foster - and reimagine. As President and Lead Designer at Prime Dress Designs, Pamela is both the keeper of the deep traditions of Irish Dance - and a leader in making the sport - and art - of Irish Dance more accessible to a new generation of dancers. With an eye for color and a lot of experience in Irish Dance (As a dancer, she reached Open Championship Level in CLRG - wearing costumes she designed and constructed herself), Pamela truly understands the industry from the top down. She's pushed dress designs while maintaining the Irish heritage, and is creative in both business - and life.
Bob McLeod spent his career drawing comics across the Marvel and DC universes. From Spider Man to Super Man, the Incredible Hulk, the X-Men, and most recently, The New Mutants, Bob has lent his talents as Penciller and Inker to take part in creating the greatest characters of our time. Now (sort of) retired, Bob spends his time drawing commissions, painting, and talking to fans. Today, he speaks with Kelly Planer about the behind-the-scenes work of comic art.
Author and illustrator Lucky Platt uses visual art to explore the themes of healing and inclusion – and does it all with a nod to humor – and the help of a myriad of colorful non-human creatures. While her work spans visual art, mixed media, and animation, her most recent project is a picture book called “Imagine a Wolf.” The story centers on Wolf, who isn’t at all who you think. At first glance, you may be afraid – as are familiar characters like Little Red Riding Hood, Grandmother, and the Boy who Cried Wolf – who make cameos throughout the story. Wolf, through clever storytelling and a love of fiber arts, reveals a truer, much more colorful nature. Lucky Platt spends time talking about the making of the book – and the thought process behind turning fairy tales on their head – all to point to the diverse personalities within all of us.