Minnesota Minds: Cultivating Creativity

Rachel and Aleisha explore how artists in Minnesota are responding to the seismic social and political upheaval caused by Operation Metro Surge — the large-scale immigration enforcement campaign that has deployed thousands of federal agents across the Minneapolis–St. Paul area and broader Minnesota. While the ICE agents are using brutal tactics to intimidate the community, we're also seeing courage, joy, and love in the many ways the community is resisting — including through art.Some of the artists discussed include: Brass Solidarity, Singing Resistance, Noah Levy & Friends, Powderhorn Sled Rally, Dan Savage, Octavia E. Butler. If you'd like to donate to local organizations supporting people impacted by ICE's actions, we highlighted a few: La Vina church and Stand With Minnesota.

Minnesota Minds co-host Rachel Lauer interviews fellow co-host Aleisha Theisen about her wellness and creativity coaching for writers and other professionals. They also discuss what they enjoyed most about Season 2. If you'd like to follow Aleisha's coaching practice, you can check it out at the sites below. To join the 5-day wellness and creativity challenge, email her at aleisha at connectiontowellness.com. www.connectiontowellness.com https://www.instagram.com/connected_to_wellness/ You can learn more about the Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota, which Rachel discussed in this episode, at this website: https://twincitiesballet.org/

We sit down with Ellie Palmer, who wrote the romantic comedy novel she was looking for when she was diagnosed as a BRCA1 gene mutation carrier. As she recovered from a preventative mastectomy, she found herself drawn to romance novels, and she decided to write one with a protagonist who'd faced the same daunting medical situation she had. The result? A sweet, poignant, and funny "Four Weekends and a Funeral," set in the Twin Cities and Duluth. Hear about her writing process and what's next for this Minnesota author. Follow Ellie on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/elliepalmerwrites/ Stay up-to-date on her latest author news at www.elliepalmerwrites.com

Minnesota jewelry designer Larissa Loden seems to thrive when she has multiple creative endeavors going at once. Her self-titled business has stores in St. Paul and the Mall of America as well as an online shop. She also co-hosts the podcast “The World's Okayest Entrepreneur” and supports other entrepreneurs as a certified business coach. She didn’t always see herself as a business owner, though. She started her career as an art teacher. Over time, she followed her intuition and craving for more autonomy, and her once-small side project of jewelry designing took off. Now you can find people across the country wearing her fun, irreverent pieces. Hear the story of this evolution and the inspiration behind some of her most-sought-after pieces in this episode.  Find Larissa Loden’s jewelry at larissaloden.com. Follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/larissaloden/

Minneapolis-based artist Victor Yepez began his career in Quito, Ecuador, where he attended college and quickly found an eager audience for his found-art sculptures, vivid paintings, and community-driven murals. When he moved to Minnesota, he continued his passion for public art and community involvement. His murals brighten many once-dreary walls and corners of the city, and he teaches classes throughout the Twin Cities to help others discover their own connections through art. ⁠https://www.victoryepezarts.com/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/victoryepez.arts⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/victoryepezarts/⁠

Born in Stillwater, MN, novelist, poet, and professor Patrick Hicks' life and work have taken him across the globe. He has written more than 10 books, including three historical fiction novels centered on the Holocaust. Now, Patrick is turning his eye homeward with "Greater Minnesota," a blend of history and travelogue that crisscrosses the North Star State. Join us as we uncover: How bowls of oatmeal and a writing legend shaped Patrick's early career The passion driving his powerful Holocaust narratives Why he decided to shift his focus and theme for his latest Minnesota-centric project You can read more about his works at https://patrickhicks.org/.

A proud citizen and lifelong resident of the Grand Portage Anishinaabe Nation in northeast Minnesota, Travis Novitsky has been photographing the woods, waters, and night sky of the north shore of Lake Superior for more than 30 years. His passion for photography and the beauty of mother nature is awe-inspiring and shines through his body of work. Travis also is the photographer for the book "Spirits Dancing - The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge & Cultural Connections to the Cosmos." Additionally, he co-produced "Northern Nights, Starry Skies," an award-winning documentary, and his creative work was featured in the film. We had a great time chatting with him about his journey as a photographer and his process of discovering the places featured in his incredible photos, as well as his processes for creating them. Learn more at: http://www.travisnovitsky.com/

Minnesota native Maddy Siriouthay is using her design and technology skills to spread sex positivity in a world that often pushes back against it. She takes us through her start as a co-founder of Ovee Health, a sexual and reproductive health hub, to her current role as senior content manager for Unbound Babes, a sexual health and wellness brand in NYC. She shares how she uses creativity -- not only to create and manage content but also to push back against sexist institutional challenges. https://unboundbabes.com https://www.tiktok.com/@unboundbabes ​​https://www.instagram.com/unboundbabes/ https://www.instagram.com/mommy_issues_mommys_issue/

Welcome to season two of Minnesota Minds: Cultivating Creativity! Our first guest of the season is the hilarious Ben Katzner. Ben shares his story of starting his standup comedy career in St. Cloud, MN, then moving to New York City – only to be met a few years later with the Covid-19 pandemic. This of course upended life as we know it, and it forced stand-up comedians to get extra creative in how they continued their line of work. Ben also has published a graphic novel for kids, “Hello My Name Is Poop.” He now lives in Minneapolis, where he works as a full-time standup comedian and co-hosts the podcast, “Troll Hole,” featuring comedic stories of internet trolls. Follow Ben here: https://www.instagram.com/shaqkatzner/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9HwLt8K7e7d6fek2dAlt5w https://www.youtube.com/@TrollHolePodcast https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Ben-Katzner/186600325 https://www.instagram.com/darlingscomedyshow/

This season flew by! We're so grateful to our guests and listeners for making this a super fun and rewarding experience. In the season one wrap-up, we discuss what it was like to get to know some of Minnesota's fascinating multidisciplinary creatives and what we plan to carry into the next season. In the meantime, follow us for updates at: https://www.instagram.com/minnesota_minds_podcast/.

Belen Rodriguez has a rich community here in Minnesota, but when she first moved from Argentina to Minnesota, she found herself homesick and missing the long-standing tradition of Sundays spent sharing meals with her family. She began to recreate that tradition for friends and family in the U.S., and her passion for sharing this experience grew. Over the past five years, her rapidly expanding frozen empanada company, Quebracho, has become a way for her to share the story of her family, culture, and community in Rosario, Argentina, with a wider audience. She tells us how creativity was crucial for crystalizing her vision, communicating that through Quebracho's branding, and then pivoting numerous times during the pandemic to keep her company growing despite the obstacles of an unpredictable time. You can read more about Belen and Quebracho at https://www.quebrachomn.com/pages/our-story. Follow Quebracho: Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/quebrachoempanadas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuebrachoEmpanadas/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@quebrachoempanadas Follow Belen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodriguezbelenm/

Minnesota native Anna Segner's art is at once whimsical, intriguing, and thought-provoking. She's a studio artist focused on painting, mixed media, and assemblage. Her work pulls you in with familiar imagery of things like Beanie Babies and rhinos, and it holds your attention as you begin to see the rich layers of meaning. Anna uses critical animal studies and other research to explore the human act of “toying” with animals and nature, and she discusses how her art has evolved to focus on this area. Anna and host Rachel Lauer met when they both worked in journalism, and Anna now teaches drawing in the Department of Art and Visual Culture at Iowa State University. You can view her work on her website: http://www.annasegner.com/ and follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/painted_annamal/. We also discussed per capita spending on state arts agencies and how that affects quality of life. You can find this data in Table 6 of this document for fiscal year 2019: https://nasaa-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/NASAA-FY2019-SAA-Revenues-Report.pdf Rachel and Aleisha talked about NaNoWriMo and London Writers Salon Writers' Hour at the start of the episode: https://nanowrimo.org/ https://community.londonwriterssalon.com/c/writers-hour-links

From working with wine sellers in Minnesota to vineyards in Napa, certified sommelier Emily Anderson has seen the ins and outs of the wine industry from many angles. She loves sharing her passion and has interesting and creative thoughts on factors the industry will need to address in the coming years, such as approachability, affordability and adapting to a changing climate. She also loves creating the perfect wine and food pairing, and she tells us about some delightful dinner parties she's hosted using this skill.

Through her journal entries and personal essays, Minneapolis writer, editor, and Loft Literary Center educator Marianne Manzler is building a body of work around her experience being diagnosed with cancer in her 20s as well as shining a light on the person behind the illness. In this interview, she tells about experiencing imposter syndrome as a biracial child growing up in a predominantly white suburb, how she learned to lean into her voice as a writer, and why she has a goal of 100 rejections per year. Her creative process has also yielded great success. She was a Fulbright scholar in Malaysia in 2016. Her essay “On the Making of a Mumu,” which originally appeared in Fourth Genre, received a notable in Best American Essays 2022. Her work can also be found in The Seventh Wave and 5280. Marianne is currently the interim education program manager at the Loft Literary Center. Marianne Manzler's website: www.mariannemanzler.com/bio The Loft Literary Center: https://loft.org/

If you've been to a major theater production, opera, or ballet in Minneapolis or St. Paul, chances are you've heard string bass and Hammond keyboard player Dave Berg in his element. He's been a big part of the Twin Cities music scene for decades. He shares with us how he built a diverse, sustainable music career, and he tells us about some of the fun surprises along the way, like getting to chat with acclaimed tenor Luciano Pavarotti or recording the soundtrack to an award-winning (and hilarious) Super Bowl ad. Dave currently can be heard at work in the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres Orchestra. Track list in episode: 28:16: "Overture - The Marriage of Figaro" by Mozart, performed by a local chamber orchestra. Dave is on string bass. 35:22: "Power of My Love" from the musical "All Shook Up," performed by the Chanhassen Dinner Theater Orchestra. Dave is on Hammond keyboard. 43:33: "Poor Old Daddy" from the musical "Puss In Boots," recorded at Sound 80 in Minneapolis. Dave is on string bass accompanying vocalist Jearlyn Steele. 45:34: "Cat Herders," a national television ad for EDS that first ran during the Super Bowl in 1999. It was recorded at Asche and Spencer in Minneapolis. Dave is on string bass. 63:26: "Simon Zealotes" from the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar," performed by the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres Orchestra. Dave is on Hammond keyboard. 

Kelly Smith is the founder of Yoga For You and the host of the chart-topping Mindful in Minutes podcast where she provides guided meditations in her soul-soothing voice. She also is the author of the newly released book "Meditation for the Modern Family." She shares her creative process when writing guided meditations -- sometimes also layering in a sound bath -- and how writing and publishing her new book has helped her overcome the emotional pain she experienced as a child with dyslexia and ADHD. Check out Kelly's Mindful in Minutes podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindful-in-minutes-meditation/id1295718287 Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogaforyouonline/ Get her book: https://www.target.com/p/mindful-in-minutes-meditation-for-the-modern-family-by-kelly-smith-hardcover/-/A-89478104#lnk=sametab Her website: https://www.yogaforyouonline.com/

Heather RJ Fletcher always wanted to be an artist. She found her joy as a marbling artist and now shares her skills at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts as well as her book, Making Marbled Paper: Paint Techniques & Patterns for Classic & Modern Marbleizing on Paper & Silk. Heather tells us how she discovered marbling and how it has connected her with people worldwide. She also explains what a color and trend forecaster is and tells us what trends to watch for in the future. Heather's website: https://www.hrjdesignstudios.com/ Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hrjdesignstudio/

Amy Thielen is a Minnesota cook and a writer. She is the author of The New Midwestern Table, which won the James Beard Award for American Cooking, as well as a memoir, Give a Girl a Knife, and a new cookbook Company: The Radically Casual Art of Cooking for Others. She also hosted the James Beard-nominated Heartland Table on Food Network. Find her online at amythielen.com (you can sign up for her Substack there), on Instagram, and on Facebook Amy and her husband, visual artist Aaron Spangler, volunteer with the Nemeth Art Center in Park Rapids, MN, to support access and engagement in the fine arts. The NAC exhibits contemporary art from emerging and recognized artists. Find out more here.

Emerging Minnesota artist Mariah Greenhoff shares how she developed her distinct style as a printmaker and ceramic sculptor, and how her practice is influenced by both her love of challenging herself and learning new processes as well as the strong art communities she's found a home within in the Twin Cities. She also discusses the thrill of selling her work for the first time at Art-A-Whirl in Minneapolis and how she is incorporating technology in her art creation process. Follow Mariah: https://www.mariahgreenhoff.com/ https://www.instagram.com/mariah_greenhoff/ https://www.youtube.com/@mariahgreenhoff Read an inspiring interview with her in Bold Journey magazine: https://boldjourney.com/meet-mariah-greenhoff/

Nicole Kronzer is a Minnesota author and high school English teacher and a former professional actor. She wrote the young adult novels Unscripted (Minnesota Book Award Finalist) and The Roof Over Our Heads. Nicole shares the thrills and challenges of navigating a career in the publishing industry, and some discoveries she's made along the way, like the importance of taking care of the "vessel," finding your people, and expanding the definition of success. Her website is delightful: https://www.nicolekronzer.com/

Monumental and decorative sculptor and art teacher Gerry Kulzer recently took over as Minnesota State Fair butter sculptor after longtime sculptor Linda Christensen retired. In the Dairy Building, you can watch him carve the likenesses of Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalists from 90-pound blocks of salted butter in a refrigerated, glass booth. He tells Rachel and Aleisha how he stays warm and how the joy of human connection infuses his work as a sculptor and teacher. Gerry Kulzer owns Kulzer Design Studios. Princess Kay of the Milky Way competition https://www.mnstatefair.org/