Unapologetically Creative

Adam McOmber, co chair of the VCFA MFA in Writing program, joins Erin LaRosa, author and romance workshop leader, and Spiro Skentzos, screenwriter and producer, to discuss the next chapter of the VCFA Writers’ Conference as it moves to CalArts in Los Angeles. The conversation explores creative community, the evolution of romance and screenwriting, storytelling in the age of AI, artistic risk taking, and why human connection remains at the center of the creative process.Our conference faculty have created an actionable free toolkit that can help your writing now. Find it HERETime Stamps:2:14 Building Creative Community4:02 Why the Conference Moved to Los Angeles6:08 Bringing Genre Fiction Into Literary Spaces8:22 Romance Writing and Story Structure11:14 Why Romance Is Often Misunderstood14:23 The Rise of Sports Romance17:02 Vulnerability and Emotional Truth in Romance20:02 Representation and Inclusivity in Publishing22:41 Writing to Market vs Writing Your Passion25:10 Building Authentic Characters in Romance27:08 Why Romance Writers Should Be Unapologetically Creative29:23 The First 15 Pages of a Screenplay32:11 Inside the TV Writers’ Room34:37 Streaming, AI, and Modern Storytelling38:12 Writing From Lived Experience41:05 Thinking Visually for the Screen43:14 Creativity, Collaboration, and Ownership46:10 Why Intellectual Property Matters48:02 Pushing Storytelling Forward49:03 A New Chapter for VCFA Writers’ Conference

Suné Woods explores intimacy, collaboration, nonlinear storytelling, and the balance between feeling and thinking in artistic practice. Through reflections on water, ancestry, collective care, and multisensory installation work, Woods discusses how art can create spaces for connection, sanctuary, and deeper emotional presence in an increasingly overwhelming world. The conversation also examines openness in creative work, the importance of collaboration, and why the heart often leads before the mind can understand. Time stamps:2:46 Finding Intimacy Through Art3:54 Art, Protest, and Collective Healing5:16 Water, Ancestry, and Interconnection7:20 The Spiritual Meaning of Water8:44 Healing Through Artistic Practice10:17 Why Collaboration Matters11:54 Nonlinear Storytelling and Multisensory Art13:34 Feeling Before Thinking14:24 Slowing Down Through Art16:06 Nature, Technology, and Presence16:47 Why Art Stays Open Ended17:45 Challenging Western Artistic Frameworks19:02 Teaching Through Personal Belief Systems20:20 What It Means to Be Unapologetically Creative20:58 Advice to a Younger Artist21:45 Art as an Invitation Forward

Sue William Silverman, award-winning author and co-chair of the MFA in Writing program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, joins Unapologetically Creative to explore the craft and courage behind creative nonfiction.From uncovering deeper meaning through metaphor and revision to writing through vulnerability and emotional risk, Silverman shares how storytelling becomes a path to self-discovery. She discusses the balance between lived experience and reflection, the role of persistence in the creative process, and why writers must learn to claim their stories without apology. 1:51 What Is Creative Nonfiction 4:17 The Unaware and Aware Narrator 6:10 Finding Meaning in Small Moments 9:55 Can Creative Nonfiction Be Taught 11:02 Writing Vulnerability and Personal Truths 14:30 Is Writing Therapeutic 15:41 Core Practices for Writers 17:09 The Power of Metaphor in Storytelling 19:51 Writing in the Present and Emotional Risk 22:58 Teaching Students to Share Difficult Stories 25:00 Advice to Younger Writers 26:41 What It Means to Be Unapologetically Creative 28:49 Final Takeaways on Creativity and Persistence

Shruti Swamy, author of A House is a Body and The Archer, explores how imagination, cultural inheritance, and intuition shape her work. Drawing from Hindu mythology and her experience growing up between cultures, she reflects on the flexibility that comes from a bicultural perspective and how it informs the way she sees and tells stories.In this conversation, Shruti challenges traditional rules of craft, sharing why she’s moving beyond rigid frameworks like “show, don’t tell” and toward a more intuitive, truth-driven approach to writing. She also discusses the role of the subconscious in creative work, the importance of spaces that encourage experimentation, and how writers can reconnect with a sense of possibility when they feel stuck.Throughout the episode, Shruti emphasizes the importance of telling the truth in both life and art, creating work that leaves space for the reader to step in, interpret, and find their own meaning.01:28 Cultural Inheritance and Storytelling03:32 Understanding Hindu Mythology05:00 Growing Up Between Cultures06:11 Bicultural Perspective and Imagination08:23 Rethinking Writing Education and The Dreamside11:07 Creative Practice and Reconnecting with Imagination13:29 Risk Taking, Safety, and the Subconscious15:31 Balancing Structure and Dreamlike Writing16:56 Returning to the Writing Practice18:46 Creativity and Telling the Truth19:56 Advice to Her Younger Self21:03 Building Courage and Creative Community

Brendan Constantine, poet and educator, explores how creativity evolves over time and why great work comes from moving forward rather than repeating what once worked. In this conversation, he reflects on poetry as a “language within a language,” one that allows us to express what everyday speech cannot. He shares how teaching and working with individuals experiencing aphasia and brain injuries reshaped his understanding of communication, showing how creativity can restore connection and unlock new ways of thinking.The episode also dives into the tension between growth and complacency, the role of failure in artistic practice, and why meaningful work is less about perfection and more about usefulness, generosity, and emotional truth.1:41 Defining a Poetic Voice2:53 AI Tries to Copy His Voice4:01 Avoiding Creative Complacency5:25 The Pitfalls of Praise6:57 Why You Can’t Recreate Success8:06 Poetry as a Language Within a Language11:07 Is It True, Kind, or Helpful?15:01 Reading Work Out Loud18:00 Poetry and Aphasia Work24:53 Giving Back in Art28:41 What It Means to Be Unapologetically Creative

Artist Karla Diaz discusses how personal experiences, including caring for her mother and navigating loss, have shaped her creative work. She reflects on the ways art can serve as a space for processing grief, memory, and transformation, and how those experiences continue to inform the themes and direction of her practice.The conversation also explores the role of intuition in the creative process, the importance of community in sustaining artists, and how creative work evolves over time while remaining connected to deeply personal experiences.Timestamps:2:12 Finding a Path into Art6:05 Trusting Intuition in the Creative Process9:48 How Life Experiences Shape Artistic Work13:20 Caring for Her Mother and the Role of Healing in Art17:42 Community, Collaboration, and Creative Support21:05 Balancing Personal Life and Artistic Practice24:36 How an Artist’s Work Evolves Over Time27:58 Advice for Emerging Artists30:15 Continuing to Create Through Life’s Changes

Ashley Hunt discusses how research and lived experience shape his creative work. Beginning with his evacuation during the Los Angeles wildfire, the conversation expands into his long engagement with mass incarceration and the systems that structure punishment in the United States. He reflects on art as a way to examine power, the importance of historical context, and the responsibility artists carry in understanding their own position in the work they make. Ashley also explores the idea of speaking alongside communities rather than for them and why art remains a space for critical thinking and possibility.2:28 Evacuating Topanga Canyon and Community Response6:22 Climate Crisis and the Educational Mission9:30 Incarcerated Fire Crews and Exploited Labor12:12 Two Californias and the Scale of Incarceration15:12 Teaching, Criminalization, and Early Inquiry18:21 Research as Artistic Practice21:43 Profit Motives and Private Prisons22:16 Counter Narratives and Media Mythology24:54 History, Slavery, and the Prison System27:03 Self Awareness, Privilege, and Accountability27:59 James Baldwin and Rethinking Whiteness30:28 CalArts and VCFA Coming Together31:58 When Is the Right Time for Graduate School35:04 What Unapologetically Creative Means

Poet, performer, and educator edwin bodney joins Unapologetically Creative for a deeply honest conversation about writing closer to the nerve, transforming grief into a landscape for discovery, and creating work rooted in truth, vulnerability, and connection. Edwin reflects on their journey from early open mic nights at the Poetry Lounge to becoming a powerful voice in contemporary spoken word, exploring how performance sharpened their craft and how storytelling became a space for survival, joy, and radical empathy.Together, edwin and host Andrew Ramsammy unpack what it means to live and create without apology, why spoken word sits at the foundation of all literature, and how artists can continue their own stories on their own terms. From grief and identity to creativity as courage, this episode is a powerful reminder that no one else gets to write the ending of your story. 2:04 Getting Closer to the Nerve4:00 Grief as Geography7:51 Discovering Poetry and Performance13:44 First Time on Stage15:55 Growth Over Time16:22 Identity, Belonging, and Connection17:50 Bringing Audiences Closer to Themselves19:25 Living Without Apology20:27 Spoken Word as the Foundation of Literature21:14 Breaking Rules in the Creative Process21:54 Where Performance and Writing Converge23:59 Writing for Truth and Vulnerability25:36 Expanding Reach Through social media26:58 Continuing Your Own Story

Brooke Champagne, award winning author of Nola Face: A Latina’s Life in the Big Easy, joins Unapologetically Creative for a conversation about writing from the most personal places and finding humor inside life’s contradictions. Growing up biracial in New Orleans shaped her voice, teaching her to hold darkness and joy in the same frame and to explore the complicated emotions that drive honest storytelling. Brooke reflects on the risks of telling intimate family stories, the power of vulnerability on the page, and why writers must abandon people pleasing in pursuit of truth. She also shares how teaching and mentoring emerging writers reinforces her belief that, even in the age of AI, human storytelling…our need for that in order to survive is not going away.This episode is a thoughtful look at identity, resilience, creative courage, and the responsibility artists have to document the world around them while inspiring others to make art of their own.1:41 — Identity, Language, and Growing Up Biracial4:18 — Writing the Hard Stuff4:57 — The Philosophy of “Bugginess”7:22 — Humor as Survival9:25 — Abandoning People Pleasing to Tell the Truth11:26 — Writing Risky, Intimate Stories13:20 — When Family Reads Your Work16:02 — How New Orleans Shapes Her Voice17:18 — Editing, Deep Reading, and Literary Context19:48 — Teaching Writers in the Age of AI21:39 — Why Writers Must Keep Going23:54 — What It Means to Be Unapologetically Creative25:13 — Advice to Her Younger Self

Damon Davis reflects on how stories shape meaning, memory, and responsibility. Working across film, music, visual art, and public installation, Davis explains why he lets the story dictate the medium and how creative practice begins with close attention to place, history, and lived experience.Throughout the conversation, Davis discusses subjectivity and fairness in storytelling, the implications of local work entering national institutions, and why art often becomes one of the lasting records of a moment in time. He shares how process, patience, and care guide his decisions, and why resisting labels allows the work to remain honest and grounded in context.Rather than offering prescriptions, Davis leaves us with a way of thinking about creative practice that values intention over posture, meaning over speed, and the long life of work made with care.0:22 — Introduction and Background2:21 — Letting the Story Dictate the Medium2:54 — Early Life, Family, and Creative Roots4:59 — Process, Symbols, and Public Monuments7:53 — Local Stories Going National8:20 — Ferguson and Making Whose Streets?10:53 — The Smithsonian and Art as Historical Record15:06 — Art as a Tool for Truth and Authenticity15:52 — Grief, Tropes, and Telling Difficult Stories17:04 — Subjectivity, Objectivity, and Power18:30 — Teaching, Stillness, and Self-Awareness20:23 — Accolades, Ego, and Staying Grounded22:29 — Relationships and Creative Fuel23:48 — Activism, Burnout, and Branding25:40 — Fatigue, Relevance, and Stepping Away26:36 — Creating an Opera30:16 — The Three Phase Creative Vision33:00 — Being Unapologetically Creative

Filmmaker Charles Burnett reflects on a career shaped by community, history, and a deep sense of responsibility to tell stories often left unseen. Growing up in Watts and coming of age during a pivotal moment in American history, Burnett shares how lived experience, observation, and empathy became central to his approach to filmmaking.In this conversation, Burnett discusses why he has always viewed film as more than entertainment, emphasizing storytelling as a way to preserve memory, reflect social realities, and give voice to everyday life. He speaks about his time at UCLA, the challenges Black filmmakers faced in gaining access and recognition, and how works like Killer of Sheep emerged from a commitment to authenticity rather than spectacle.Burnett also reflects on legacy and what it means to remain creatively engaged over time, offering insight into the responsibility artists carry to their communities and to future generations through the stories they choose to tell.02:10 – Early Life in Watts and Learning to Observe04:30 – Community as a Source of Story06:45 – UCLA and a Transformative Moment in History09:10 – Access, Barriers, and Being Seen as a Filmmaker11:45 – Film as Reflection, Not Explanation14:00 – Rejecting Spectacle and Hollywood Expectations16:10 – The Making of Killer of Sheep19:20 – Everyday Life as Cinematic Material21:40 – International Recognition and U.S. Resistance24:00 – Preservation, Memory, and Cultural Responsibility26:10 – Teaching, Mentorship, and Passing Knowledge Forward28:15 – Legacy, Responsibility, and Closing Reflections

Daniel Nayeri explores how specific details in a story can reveal something universal. He reflects on his fascination with “welcome,” from inviting strangers into his home for dinner to the moment characters meet around a fire, and discusses the role of food in his life and how being a pastry chef shaped his sense of pleasure, honesty, and craft. Daniel also shares what readers have taught him about vulnerability, why trusting his own palate matters, and how children and adults bring different emotional tools to stories, showing how specificity and truth help readers see pieces of their own lives in someone else’s story.0:41 Introduction of Daniel Nayeri and Everything Sad Is Untrue.1:14 The idea of “welcome” and storytelling through food.2:27 Shoes on or off? Cultural norms and politeness as storytelling entry points.3:47 Hosting strangers: the publisher’s reaction and surprising outcomes.4:38 Unexpected connections — photographers, dinners, and shared creative space.5:05 Daniel’s philosophy: everyone begins with welcome, but it can be lost.5:54 Campfire metaphor: the moment two strangers negotiate trust.7:33 Visualization and metaphor: crafting scenes with all five senses.10:02 Life as a pastry chef: honest reactions in an open kitchen.11:40 Applying the pastry chef mindset to writing.13:52 Entertainment vs. art: palate cleansers and deeper meaning.14:48 Why art isn’t just “chocolate and cocaine.”15:34 Cooking and fighting: Daniel’s primary metaphors for truth.16:35 Mike Tyson’s “everyone has a plan until they get punched.”18:18 “Trust your palate”: the chef’s lesson on honesty.19:04 Why trusting your own palate matters creatively.20:08 Writing for children: appropriateness and development.21:26 Children’s emotional depth and articulation.26:07 Emails from readers and the weight of their stories.29:03 Seeing ourselves everywhere; anthropomorphizing the world.29:35 Art’s purpose: inviting others in without dehumanizing them.30:30 Being unapologetically creative as a primal human act.

Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medalist and author of A Single Shard and A Long Walk to Water, reflects on growing up without stories that reflected her Korean identity, the importance of representation in books, and how reading helps young people develop deep thinking skills. She also shares the real-world impact of A Long Walk to Water, which inspired students to raise millions for clean water projects in South Sudan and discusses how stories give children a safe space to practice life.2:04 How her creative journey began, childhood reading and early influences6:07 Lack of identity representation in childhood reading6:16 Experiences growing up Korean American and early awareness of difference6:46 How representation influenced her writing and Korean historical focus23:26 Discussion of A Long Walk to Water and its global impact23:51 Credit to her husband’s journalism and origins of the story of Salva Dut24:12 How the book spread through classrooms and inspired students to act26:19 How it felt to see the book’s real world impact26:23 Reflections on young readers’ response and her newest book about coral reefs26:56 Question about advice to her younger self27:07 Advice, embracing what makes you different27:27 How would you present that in book form27:29 Continuing reflections, being true to oneself and finding strengths in difference

Miller Wrenn is a bassist and composer who explores the beauty of improvisation, collaboration, and the deep trust that fuels creative work. In this conversation with Andrew Ramsammy, Wrenn reflects on how neurodiversity shapes his process, why true artistry begins with openness, and how music becomes a living dialogue between people. From his early days as an 11-year-old bassist to collaborations with acclaimed artists like Hildur Guðnadóttir, Wrenn reveals the lessons of resilience, community, and honesty that define his craft.00:00–00:23—Opening Reflection00:28–01:35—Introduction01:36–03:05—Full Circle at CalArts03:06–05:11—Early Beginnings in Music05:12–06:37—Discovering Improvisation07:03–09:54—Collaboration and Connection09:54–13:04—The First “Date” with Hildur Guðnadóttir13:04–16:13—Experimentation and Musical Honesty16:14–18:29—Balancing Structure and Spontaneity18:30–19:52—Preparing for Improvised Performance19:53–21:24—Themes and Emotional Exploration21:25–22:56—Creative Blocks and Deep Listening22:57–24:46—Letting Go of Ego24:47–26:39—AI and the Future of Music26:40–28:51—Advice to His Younger Self28:52–29:51—Defining “Unapologetically Creative”29:57–30:39—Closing Thoughts

Christine Sneed, award-winning author and creative writing professor, reflects on her path from teenage poetry journals to national acclaim. She shares how humor, specificity, and emotional honesty shape her storytelling, the moment in Paris that cemented her identity as a writer, and why trusting your instincts matters more than chasing trends. Christine also opens up about the realities of publishing, the craft lessons she teaches her students, and the quiet persistence required to build a life in literature.01:54 — What Inspired Christine to Start Writing02:38 — The Epiphany Moment in Paris: “I’m Going to Be a Writer”04:36 — Returning from France & Early Mentors05:53 — Getting an MFA at Indiana University06:59 — Balancing Life, Writing, and Early Struggles07:24 — What is “Domestic Realism”?07:51 — Writing Structure, Titles, and Episodic Thinking08:47 — Narrative Structure & Flashbacks09:44 — Christine’s Writing Process & Routine11:28 — Writing Humor & Her Book *Please Be Advised*13:58 — Corporate Life as Creative Fuel15:52 — Writing *Little Known Facts* and Hollywood Dynamics17:30 — Who She Writes For (and Why)18:08 — Research & Writing from Different Perspectives19:39 — Writing for Publication vs Writing for Passion21:12 — The “First Pancake” Philosophy21:33 — Teaching & How It Shapes Her Writing22:56 — How to Create Specific, Real Characters23:09 — Craft Advice & The Power of Detail25:23 — The Importance of Organic Strangeness in Fiction25:26 — Advice to Her Younger Self26:36 — What It Means to Be Unapologetically Creative

In this episode of Unapologetically Creative, host Andrew Ramsammy speaks with multidisciplinary artist and educator Taraneh Hemami, whose work bridges personal history and collective storytelling. From growing up during the Iranian revolution to building community through art in San Francisco, Taraneh shares how displacement, memory and resistance have shaped her creative journey. Through installations, public art and archival projects, she reclaims lost narratives and creates space for difficult conversations. This is a conversation about art as a force for connection, care and cultural preservation.Timestamps00:03 – 00:31 · Art and politics: Why creatives must respond to the moment00:37 – 01:44 · Host introduction02:07 – 05:38 · Taraneh’s artistic journey: From Iran’s revolution to community-centered art05:46 – 07:50 · Childhood influences: Western art, music, and rediscovering Persian traditions08:22 – 08:57 · Early years in the U.S.: Surviving as an immigrant and working retail09:03 – 10:03 · Teaching as a path back to art and community10:19 – 12:57 · Community storytelling: Hall of Reflections and post-9/11 projects13:29 – 17:25 · Resistance and collective identity in art17:46 – 19:31 · Is art political? The tension of labels in the art world19:56 – 22:02 · Taraneh’s creative process: Proposals, experiments, and public art timelines22:25 – 24:12 · Identity, doubt, and belonging: Iranian, American, artist24:21 – 25:58 · The power of residency: Connection, reflection, and trust26:11 – 27:02 · Returning from residency: Teaching and making space for hard conversations27:07 – 27:27 · What “unapologetically creative” means to Taraneh Hemami27:29 – 28:17 · Closing reflection: Art as connection, responsibility, and resilience

In this episode of Unapologetically Creative, host Andrew Ramsammy sits down with painter Elizabeth Tremante, whose powerful and often humorous “paintings within paintings” challenge traditional museum narratives. From a rural childhood in upstate New York to graduate school at Stanford, Elizabeth shares how motherhood, feminism and a deep curiosity for art history shape her vivid imagined museum scenes—spaces filled with children, pregnant bodies and overlooked figures rarely represented in classical art. Together, they explore how art can be both comic and critical, tender and disruptive, asking us to see the gallery and the stories within it through new eyes. TIMESTAMPS:2:06 – 3:22 | Early Life & Path to Art3:25 – 4:18 | The Spark of Creation5:08 – 6:31 | Describing Her Work7:09 – 8:15 | A Daughter’s Reaction to Museums8:53 – 9:44 | On Feminism and Representation10:56 – 14:46 | Reframing Art History in Her Paintings15:15 – 18:14 | Humor, Mythology, and Reinterpretation18:41 – 19:58 | Reception and Criticism20:09 – 21:17 | Art History as Power and Violence21:27 – 23:31 | Making Blood Visible24:17 – 27:31 | Themes of Care and Vulnerability28:22 – 28:55 | Unapologetically Creative

Sneak peak of what's in store this season

Michael Riley, founder of Shine Studio and the creative force behind iconic opening sequences for Gattaca, Kung Fu Panda, and Modern Family, joins Unapologetically Creative to talk about embracing uncertainty, trusting your instincts, and working in service of the story. From cold pitches to career pivots, Michael shares how saying yes to new opportunities and being okay with rejection can shape a long and fulfilling creative life. This is a conversation about staying curious, being brave, and showing up with your best ideas, no matter what. TIMESTAMPS: 0:22 — Introduction to Michael Riley and his motion design career1:49 — Early passion for art and high school silkscreen business3:00 — RISD experience and falling in love with typography4:30 — Embracing multidisciplinarity in the creative world5:18 — Influential internship with Tibor Kalman6:30 — Embracing storytelling in film and TV8:43 — First major TV project: Saturday Night Live9:03 — First film: Gattaca and its creative marketing11:10 — Working with directors and understanding their vision12:38 — Lessons from pitching (successes and failures)14:30 — Story of losing Bee Movie and landing Kung Fu Panda16:25 — Role and function of a title sequence18:07 — Designing differently for film vs. streaming20:00 — Integration of title sequences into the story21:06 — Designing sequences people won’t want to skip22:33 — Processing creative feedback with professionalism24:23 — Solving creative challenges under tight timelines25:31 — Advice to his younger self26:19 — Defining “Unapologetically Creative”

Book artist and educator Amy Fortunato joins Unapologetically Creative to share how her early experiences shaped a career built on curiosity, complexity, and care. From her first creative spark at CalArts to her current work mentoring students and crafting museum-quality books, Amy opens up about the power of asking questions, embracing identity in all its dimensions, and resisting the urge to stay in one lane. This episode explores how thoughtful creativity can honor stories, challenge norms, and lead to paths more fulfilling than we ever imagined. TIMESTAMPS:0:25 — Introduction to Amy Fortunato and her multidisciplinary design practice2:02 — Career overview and return to CalArts as part of VCFA residency3:14 — Early creative experiences and lack of role models in the arts4:19 — Cultural identity and underrepresentation in creative spaces4:37 — The transformative impact of attending CSSSA.6:59 — Lasting influence of early exposure to cross-disciplinary creativity8:45 — Resisting creative categorization and embracing complexity9:29 — Viewing identity and career through multidimensional “facets”13:56 — Collaborative process of designing art books16:27 — Favorite and most challenging aspects of book design18:37 — The joy of holding the final physical product21:04 — Physical books vs. e-books and the importance of tangible design22:53 — Advice for students on documenting and shaping thesis books25:52 — Advice to her younger self: trust the journey and stay open26:35 — Defining unapologetic creativity as thoughtful irreverence

In this premiere episode of Unapologetically Creative, host Andrew Ramsammy sits down with artist, educator, and creative entrepreneur David Jon Walker to explore his path from quilting as a teen to teaching design and graduating from Yale. David reflects on how discomfort builds creative strength, why resilience is essential, and what it means to make art without asking for permission. From screen printing at motorcycle rallies to hand-lettering daily on Instagram, his story is a masterclass in grit, grace, and creative independence.TIMESTAMPS:0:28 — Introduction to David Jon Walker and his work2:35 — Early creative influences from family3:50 — First quilt project at age 134:31 — First commissioned creative work5:13 — College experience and pivot to screen printing7:53 — Growth into large-scale event merchandising11:36 — Academic progression and transition to Yale12:05 — Initial freelance and political design work13:22 — Challenges in gaining recognition as a designer16:06 — Motivation behind pursuing Yale MFA17:12 — Financial preparation and family-driven ambition21:01 — Daily public creative practice and accountability22:44 — Running as fuel for creativity and focus23:50 — Defining unapologetic creativity