Creative Confessionals

Last summer, Mina and I had the great pleasure of speaking with Yvonne Montoya, a Tucson-based dancer scholar, director, and consultant. This episode — which is long-overdue — was one of the most personally meaningful episodes for me. Because of that, I felt an overwhelming pressure to make sure it was perfect… and that eventually evolved into inexcusable delay and procrastination.

Charissa Lucille uses creativity to infuse meaning into every aspect of her life — and by extension — her community. Tune in to this episode of Creative Confessionals to find out how this self-taught photographer, zinester and entrepreneur works tirelessly to uplift the voices of others!

From launching her own business to battling endometriosis, Charissa Lucille uses creativity to infuse meaning into every aspect of her life. A self-taught photographer, zinester and entrepreneur, Charissa works tirelessly to uplift the voices of others. Between working a full-time job outside of the arts, running Wasted Ink Zine Distro, and organizing Phoenix’s annual zine fest, she still finds time to make personal work.In this episode of Creative Confessionals, Charissa shares how she prioritizes her many responsibilities, even through illness, pain, and surgery caused by endometriosis. Tune in to hear some freakin’ inspirational words of wisdom from Charissa’s Mom, learn about the inclusive and diverse world of zines, and why community is so important to this incredible artist!Charissa Lucille:IG: @CharissaLucilleWebsite: http://www.charissalucille.com/Wasted Ink Zine Distro:IG: @WastedInkZineDistroFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/wastedinkzinedistro/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WastedInkDistroWebsite: https://www.wizd-az.com/Phx Zine Fest:IG: @ PhxZineFestFacebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/298089237649092Website: https://www.phxzinefest.com/

Eunique Yazzie's journey toward recognizing her value as an artist and designer hasn't been easy. From an upbringing of scarcity on the reservation, to pivotal layoffs throughout her career, learn how Eunique's passion and dedication has helped her rise above systematic oppression to build a meaningful life and uplift her community.

Eunique Yazzie’s journey toward recognizing her value as a designer hasn’t been easy. Growing up on the reservation and facing several layoffs early in her design career taught her how to live off little. So when she was finally ready to launch her own business, she learned that she didn’t know her value the hard way. And although she eventually made the decision to accept a salaried position rather than struggle with the insufficient income she was making through design projects, she doesn’t consider it to be a failure.Eunique has been able to overcome challenges that would easily cause others to call it quits. She’s lost a job while pregnant, persevered through the digital takeover of the publishing industry, and she wasn’t afraid to resign from a job when it wasn’t taking her on own right path. Though it all, she’s found personal growth and has held on to her mission: to make sure Native stories are heard and respected in Phoenix and beyond.Listen to this episode to learn about how Eunique is supporting her community through art and design, plus a lot more!Join us at PHX Design Week! https://phxdw.com/speaker/eunique-yazzie/Connect with EuniqueWebsite: www.euniquedesign.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/euniqueinkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/euniquedesign/

Melissa Kreider — photographer and founding editor of Don't Smile — knows first-hand that life doesn't stop for an MFA program. Listen to this episode to find out how she's overcome loss, addiction, abuse, and more in order to pursue an art career.

Melissa Kreider knows first-hand that life doesn’t stop for an MFA program. While working on Remnants, a body of work that examines sites of sexual violence; launching Don’t Smile, a website dedicated to highlighting the work of female photographers; and teaching full-time at the University of Iowa while pursuing her Masters degree; Melissa managed to persevere through some seriously difficult experiences.Despite all that she’s been through, it seems like nothing can stop Melissa’s drive to make a difference — both within and beyond the photo world. From personal obstacles to industry biases, she’s discovered the importance of putting her dreams and career goals first. She also had to learn how to make self-care a priority along the way. Find out how she’s overcome loss, addiction, abuse, and more in order to pursue an art career in this episode of Creative Confessionals!Trigger Warning: We talk about sexual and domestic assault, miscarriage, substance abuse and addiction, and use more explicit language than usual. If you are sensitive to any of these topics, we encourage you to refrain from listening .Connect with Melissa and follow Don’t SmileWebsite: melissakreider.com and dont-smile.comInstagram: @melissakreider and @dontsmilephoto

Being an artist and working in arts admin require very different skill sets, which is why it takes a unique person who can do both. Estrella Esquilin, interdisciplinary artist and Communication and Community Engagement Manager at the City of Phoenix's Office of Arts and Culture is on those rare few. Check out this podcast episode to find out how she does it!

Working as an artist and working in arts admin can require two very different skill sets, but it takes a unique person who can do both. Mina and I had the immense pleasure of speaking Estrella Payton, a creative hat-juggling pro!In this interview, she shares how she found herself on an administrative career track and what it’s like balancing non-stop community engagement with her own creative practice. We also discuss the importance of sharing opportunities and how she uses her personal and professional experiences to uplift other artists with marginalized identities.Check out this episode to hear Estrella’s story, get inspired, and gain some excellent advice on how we can all create more equitable and inclusive spaces in the arts.

Who are we? Why are we launching a podcast? What is creative Confessionals? Should you even care? Get to know your hosts and find out why we're interviewing artists, designers and creative entrepreneurs with diverse perspectives!

Brought to you by aftrART.com, Creative Confessionals is a podcast for radically honest conversations about art, design and creative entrepreneurship from diverse perspectives. In the first episode, Amanda and Mina share who they are, why they're launching a podcast, and what you can expect in the future.