Hear the voices of those living creative lives.
This site contains interviews you can read or listen to with people who make a living by engaging their passions.
Susan is an artist, writer and teacher. Michael is a writer, journalist, professional voice talent and audio producer.
Here, we bring our talents together to tell the stories of creative people living creative lives. Our mission is to listen and learn, then share these stories with you in publications, , your website and our blogs. __________________________________________________________________
Success, Digital Stress and Answering Life's Questions: An interview with Jennifer Louden
“And I couldn’t write. I was rewriting the same two pages of this screenplay over and over again.”
It was a series of endings that started Jennifer Louden on the path of a best selling author, spokesperson, workshop and retreat leader. Her boyfriend broke up with her and his friend wrecked her car. Her dog bit her. She was on crutches recovering from a skiing accident, moving from a house to a very small apartment, and trying to finish a screenplay. Her agent was getting diinterested and she was suffering from a huge case of writer's block. If anyone needed comfort it was Jennifer...
Hear Jennifer's story (click here)
Visit: www.comfortqueen.com
Art and Liberation
“You can feel really good everyday of your life when you do what you love, whether it’s read or do art or walk or dance or whatever you love to do. It makes you feel alive, that feeds you and gives you what you need everyday.”
In the last 3 years, Jan’s life and art has changed. Her life used to revolve around full-time teaching and family with her art making fitting in whatever space was left. It was a fulfilling puzzle with many pieces. Retirement was a mystery at first and a word Jan dislikes.
The Grand Design
Authors of the book "The Grand Design," Physics Professors Steven Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, set out to explain our existence with a new take on how life, the universe and everything was created.
Dave's Killer Bread
Dave Dahl of Dave’s Killer Bread has been serving his bread up for some time now at local area grocery stores … business is good … so good that Dave says they’re trying to dial it back just a bit.
Dave’s story is one of overcoming impossible odds … to rediscover his passion and experience personal success.
Hear the show: (click here) 
Visit:
Freedom and the Pursuit of Happiness
The immigration issue is explored with filmmaker Eric Byler, Producer and Director of "9500 Liberty" and the path to corporate happiness is outlined by Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh.
Participants: Eric Byler, Producer-Director of "9500 Liberty."
Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh, author of "Delivering Happiness - The Path to Profit, Passion and Purpose."
Visit:
Craft Beer Month in Oregon
We celebrate Craft Beer Month (July) in Oregon With a look back on how it all began.
Participants: Rob and Kurt Widmer of Widmer brothers Brewing
Beer Goddess Lisa Morrison
Art Larrance of Cascade Brewing and The Racoon Lodge
Visit:
The Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival
How Oregon is dealing with its number two status as the hungriest state in the nation and how the Waterfront Blues Festival is helping in that regard.
Participants: Rachel Bristol, CEO of the Oregon Food Bank
Bill Sanchez with Empty Bowls and the Oregon Potters Association
Jessica Chanay of Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon
The Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts
This Year’s festival celebrates the centennial of Lake Oswego, features Encaustic Art as its showpiece and former Quarterflash musicians Marv and Rindy Ross With the Oregon Trail Band.
Participants: Steve Call – Co-Chair
Amy Stoner – Encaustic Art
Danny Schauffler – Music Curator
Marv and Rindy Ross – Oregon Trail Band
A Conversation With Cousteau
"The Sea is Everything"
Jean-Michel Cousteau talks about his new book "My Father, The Captain: My Life with Jacques Cousteau." released on the 100th anniversary of his late father's birth on June 10th 1910.
Jean-Michel Cousteau, who is also President of the Ocean Futures Society and Executive Producer of Ocean Adventures on PBS, talks about the disaster in the Gulf and how to avoid future oil spills.
Here Jean-Michel's story: (click here)
Hear the entire story on "Speaking Freely" at
Read more at http://voicesoflivingcreatively.blogspot.com
Earth Day’s Denis Hayes
40 years ago this year Denis Hayes left his graduate studies at Harvard to coordinate the first Earth Day - an event often credited with launching the modern American environmental movement. Today, Hayes is President & CEO of the Bullitt Foundation, a $100 million environmental foundation located in Seattle. An environmental lawyer by training, Hayes has published more than 100 articles, books, and papers on energy and the environment. He says the early motivation for cleaning up the environment stemmed from the location of his childhood home in Camas, Washington …
Visit Denis Hayes at The Earth Day Network
Just Call Me Darcelle
Walter Cole is Darcelle. In fact the title of the recent run of his one man show is the above. His nearly eight decades of life is spent in Oregon. he went from a shy, quiet boy, growing up in Linnton, where he coped with the untimely death of his mother and abuse from his father, to becoming Portland's most celebrated drag queen. The journey is the point of "Just Call Me Darcelle."
Hear Darcelle's story: (click here)
Hear the entire story on "Speaking Freely" at
Keep Portland Weird
Music Millennium owner Terry Currier brought the saying "Keep Portland Weird" to the city. Economist Joe Cortright says it makes perfect economic sense to keep Portland weird...and zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh uses “how weird are you”? as a gauge to hire new employees.So it seems that a certain amount of weirdness is not only OK … but highly desirable …
Here the story: (click here)
Hear the entire story on "Speaking Freely" at
Read more at http://voicesoflivingcreatively.blogspot.com
Visit: Joe Cortright, president and principal economist with Impresa, a Portland consulting firm.
Terry Currier, owner of Music Millennium
Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com
A blank wall inspires an art mural in Beaverton
Chuck Wilson said to his wife one day, " I'm tired of looking at a blank wall. Would you be willing to paint a mural there?" Award winning artist Gina Wilson replied, "Sure.'
By the next day, Beaverton Sub Station owner Chuck Wilson had called the mayor, the Arts Commission and the owner of the building with the blank wall, Ickabod's Tavern. Everyone thought the idea was wonderful, but there was a catch.
Here Gina's story: (click here)
Hear Gina's story at iTunes
Download the mp3
Read Gina's story at http://voicesoflivingcreatively.blogspot.com
Visit the Beaverton Sub Station at http://beavertonsubstation.com
Helen Hollick pens a different path for the legend of Arthur
”I was just so intrigued that he might have been real though all of the stories of the knights of the Round Table, the Holy Grail,
Camelot and Lancelot were said to be just made up. But as soon as I realized that maybe there was a real Arthur, I became fascinated.”
Author Helen Hollick remembers the stories she read as a child about Merlin and the young Arthur. But for Helen, it
was somthing in the back of a book that actually brought another sort of magic into her life.
Hear Helen's story: (click here)
Hear Helen's story at iTunes
Download the mp3
Read Helen's story at http://www.voicesoflivingcreatively.blogspot.com
Visit Helen's website at http://www.helenhollick.net
Margie Lee: Following an intuitive path through art and life
“I have done a lot of different things, but I think that’s the way my art developed. It’s not just a straight path, that’s for sure.”
Margie Lee’s life path has led her across the country and Europe, and across the fields of geology, literature and art.
Hear Margie's story: (click here)
Download the mp3
Listen to the podcast at iTunes
Read Margie's story at Visit Margie at voicesoflivingcreatively.blogspot.com
margieleeartworks.com
From the past to the future: Beaverton's new mural celebrates youth and hope
“My intention is not to portray a beautiful world, my intention is to portray a world
that is real but also one where we can overcome problems."
Working with 15 students from Merlo Station High School, Hector Hernandez, created a mural concept that spans the solar system, early Beaverton, the threat of global and their children.
Hear Hector's story: (click here)
Download the mp3
Listen to the podcast at iTunes
Read Hector's story at http://voicesoflivingcreatively.blogspot.com
Visit Hector's website at hectorhh.com
Kitty Wallis: Artist, Teacher, Entrepreneur and Founder of Portland Open Studios
“I’ve spent many, many years waking up in the morning saying what do I feel like doing today? As an artist, do I feel like going into the studio? Do I feel like going out meeting people? Do I feel like getting reference material? I’m very young looking for my age. And I think that’s one of the reasons.”
From the streets of New York to a California commune, Kitty Wallis has always lived an artist’s life. As a child growing up in a small, poor Pennsylvania town, Kitty’s mother was proud of her artistic daughter and encouraged her to draw.
Hear Kitty's story: (click here)
Download the mp3
Listen to the podcast at iTunes
Read the story at voicesoflivingcreatively.blogspot.com
Workshops with Kitty Wallis at http://portlandpleinairandstudiopainters.blogspot.com
“Don’t Tell Fred”
Last year, when we visited with Teresa, she showed us a note found with a necklace she’d bought at an estate sale. It was a short handwritten note with more questions than answers. The mystery intrigued and inspired Teresa to make an art piece incorporating the note with the beads from the necklace along with other icons. The piece entitled, ‘Don’t Tell Fred’, is featured in the September/October issue of Fiberarts Magazine.
Teresa is a story- teller in beads. The stories she tells in her beaded tapestries, jewelry and sculpture are about the power of people discovering their abilities; from super heroines of comics and science fiction to the real mentors of her life.
Hear Teresa's Story: (click here)
Listen to the podcast at iTunes
Download the mp3
Read Teresa's story at voicesoflivingcreatively.blogspot.com
Visit Teresa's website at teresasullivanstudio.com
Kelly Neidig: Painting Landscape Memories
"I've painted and drawn ever since I can remember. Now, when I think of my memories a lot of the details are lost but I can remember the colors and how I felt."
Kelly Neidig remembers drawing birds in kindergarten, and they were so good, even her mother didn’t believe she’d drawn them. After winning an art contest in first grade, Kelly devoted most of her time to art. Growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania, Kelly went to schools that didn’t have any art programs, but she didn’t let that stop her.
Hear Kelly's story: (click here)
Hear Kelly's story at iTunes
Download the mp3
Read Kelly's story at voicesoflivingcreatively.blogspot.com
Visit Kelly's website at http://kellyneidig.com
Erin Donley: Marketing Her Truth and Yours
I was looking for an occupation that was really in line with my own truth," says Erin. "One that was engaging my creativity and integrity, where I was giving back in a deeper way."
Erin Donley's, Marketing Your Truth, began with an ending. Her first job in radio sales taught her a great deal about media and marketing but after eight years, she realized it was time to move on.
Hear Erin's story: (click here)
Listen to the podcast at iTunes
Download the mp3
Read Erin's story at voicesoflivingcreatively.blogspot.com
Visit Erin's website at marketingyourtruth.com
Nicky Falkenhayn: Building a Studio of Her Dreams
"About three years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. During chemo, my dream was to build the studio."
Three years later, Nicky Falkenhayn is putting in the electrical outlets, painting and plumbing to make her dream come true.
Hear Nicky's story: (click here)
Listen to the podcast at iTunes
Download the mp3
Read Nicky's story at voicesoflivingcreatively.blogspot.com
Visit Nicky's website at www.nickyfalkenhayn.com
Patrick Gracewood: Sculpting a Living
“My first job out of school was sculpting for a high end mannequin company,” says Patrick. “I went from sculpting one life-size sculpture a semester to doing one every week and a half and getting paid for it. I had a beautiful studio and I was getting paid to do what I loved.”
Portland, Oregon sculptor, Patrick Gracewood is living a creative life and making a living with his sculpture work for many different businesses.
Hear Patrick's story: (click here)
Listen to the podcast at iTunes
Download the mp3
Read Patrick's story at voicesoflivingcreatively.blogspot.com
Visit Patrick's website at http://www.gracewoodstudio.com
The Weitzers: A Passionate Life
"We could hear the sounds of suburban development marching toward us like a tidal wave. Pretty soon, I was teaching many of those who visited my bamboo oasis."
David and Janice Weitzer's passion for bamboo, food and yoga has led them to establish several successful home-based businesses. Following their own needs and personal passions, this couple currently operates a bamboo business, a massage therapy practice, a private yoga school and traditional Thai Massage classes.
Hear the Weitzer's story: (click here)
Download the mp3
Read the Weitzer's story at voicesoflivingcreatively.blogspot.com
Visit the Weitzer's websites - bambooasis.com traditionalthaimassage.