Andy Allo on the challenges of spinning myriad creative plates

From her soulful music career as a member of Prince’s New Power Generation to her breakthrough acting role in the hit series Upload to her recent dive into the culinary world, Andy Allo has never confined herself to a single path. In the face of a culture that worries about personal brands and inst…

How Mai Der Vang turns uncertainty into poetry

Pulitzer finalist Mai Der Vang opens up about the courage it takes to be a poet, the discipline required to stay with uncertainty, and the weight of writing for a community long silenced.

Thrice's Dustin Kensrue holds a holistic view of his creative priorities

When we typically speak with artists about the idea of resistance, we discuss their creative endeavors, but Dustin Kensrue (Thrice) has a more holistic view of it all. From creative freedom to family priorities, from the pull of side projects to the quiet cost of ignoring what really stirs the soul…

Composer Carlos Rafael Rivera (Hacks) on casting aside his creative crutches

Emmy and Grammy-winning composer Carlos Rafael Rivera (Hacks, The Queen's Gambit) details the painful lessons required to get to a healthy space of being less precious about his creative work.

Author/screenwriter Ben Winters on the challenge of distraction

Despite the best-selling books and hit TV shows, author/screenwriter Ben Winters (CBS' hit show Tracker, The Last Policeman) says distraction and anxiety remain very much a part of the creative process—even in the face of his ever-growing run of successes. 

Poet/author Tina Cane on the importance of congruent creativity

Tina Cane's work as an activist and educator has kept her work as an author and poet (including a long stint as the former Poet Laureate of Rhode Island) so close to the earth. It’s beautiful and accessible and meaningfully grounded. After spending some time in conversation with her, it’s clear tha…

Behind the open-handed creativity of Tony Dekker and Great Lake Swimmers

Tony Dekker has had the right posture from the beginning. Of course, it probably helped that he was never trying in the first place. The central figure of Great Lake Swimmers has made a career in the music industry for more than two decades now, but as Dekker tells the story, that first self-titled…

Hip-hop pioneer Lyrics Born on changing long-term paths

Acclaimed artist and actor Lyrics Born speaks about finding a new identity beyond hip-hop, what he’s learned in 30 years as a recording artist, and the importance of saying yes when unexpected gifts come your way.

Joan Osborne reflects on the organic origins of her musical career

Acclaimed songwriter Joan Osborne says the artist will never stop pushing against the Resistance, but the doubts that arise will take on different forms.

Land of Talk's Lizzie Powell on spurned opportunities and protecting the work

Land of Talk's Lizzie Powell talks about spurned opportunities, lessons learned to protect the work, and the upsides of being a slow burn of a band—all of which has made them one of Canada’s most respected artists of the last 20 years.