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We’re kicking off the new year with some exciting announcements and big things ahead for the Chaos & Creativity universe. This year, we’re thrilled to introduce a new podcast hosted by Sabrina Sarl. Mothers of Creativity spotlights women who make a living through their creative work while also navigating motherhood. Becoming a mom can change everything, and this series explores how creative women continue to pursue their passions. Sabrina brings such a thoughtful, honest perspective to these conversations, and she has some truly special interviews planned for 2026. We also share what’s next for Chaos & Creativity, so be sure to tune in to hear what’s coming and how the show is continuing to grow. Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

We’ve made it to our last episode of the year and the season one finale. To close things out, Lou and Kimi are sharing 12 things they’ve been loving lately. These are things that have inspired them, helped them slow down, or simply made life a little better as creatives. This is our version of the 12 Days of Christmas. No endorsements, no sponsors. Just books, shows, tools, and ideas we genuinely enjoy. We’re talking about what we’re reading, watching, and adding into our lives as we head into a new year. Kimi’s Picks 1. Klara and the Sun 2. Deep Listening by Pauline Oliveros 3. Notion 4. Brick (screen time device) 5. Murder, She Wrote 6. Sisters with Transistors (2020 documentary) Lou’s Picks 1. WANDRD 2. Storyist 3. Scriptnotes 4. When Things Were Good: An Editor’s Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines 5. Down Cemetery Road (Apple TV+) 6. Slow Horses (Apple TV+) Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

Kimi and Lou explore the different “characters” we step into throughout our lives — the versions of ourselves that show up in different moments, relationships, and creative seasons. They talk about the parts of us that live quietly inside, the ones that guide our choices, and the ones we grow out of. Lou shares what he’s learned from writing a stage play and how storytelling forces you to meet all these inner characters. They dig into collaboration, what it means to step into someone else’s creative world, how to add to it, and how to defend your own vision while still making room for others. A reflective episode on creativity, identity, and the art of building something together. Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

Join Lou and Jeff Burkhart, award-winning writer, bartender, and columnist for the Marin Independent Journal, as they dive behind the scenes of Tale of a Barfly. Inspired by Jeff’s bestselling book Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Tale of a Barfly is a story of life, love, and cocktails. It’s a riches-to-rags journey that reminds us all of life’s greatest truths can be found while watching the world from behind a bar. For over a decade, Jeff and Lou have collaborated on live, enhanced book readings performed to sold-out audiences at the Sweetwater in Mill Valley. Tale of a Barfly is their next ambitious evolution, an original play written by Lou and featuring Burkhart’s stories and spirit. A unique blend of storytelling, humor, and humanity, and a journey you won’t want to miss. Get your tickets now, they are selling fast!  https://tickets.marincenter.org/orderticketsarea.asp?p=5236&a=455&src=eventperformances

Kimi and Lou are back with their well-deserved opinions in this week’s minisode or what we’re now calling bitchsodes.  When Amazon quietly erased guns from classic James Bond posters, it sparked a bigger conversation about censorship, revisionism, and the strange urge to “remaster” the past. Why does art keep getting sanitized? Does censoring a movie poster really help anything? Lou and Kimi unpack it all, reminding us that erasing symbols won’t erase reality. Moral of the story: Bring back Napster... Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel! Episode Links:  James Bond Poster The History of Napster Movie: The Social Network

Lou heads to London to chat with Joe Ingham, an award-winning producer and filmmaker who works in development and production across both the UK and US. Joe has helped bring projects to life with Amazon, BBC, Sky, Channel 4, Paramount, and more, and his films Baby Lies Truthfully and The Microcosm. In this episode, Joe breaks down what “development” in TV and film actually means, taking an idea from its earliest spark and shaping it into something ready for the screen. He talks about the creativity, patience, and people skills it takes to make it happen, plus the importance of keeping an open mind and creating space for new ideas. If you’ve ever wondered what really goes on before your favorite shows or documentaries get made, this conversation will pull back the curtain on a side of the industry most people never get to see. Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

In this mini-episode, Lou and Kimi talk about YouTube running AI filters over videos, without creators asking for it. Has AI ever automatically edited your content? What does that mean for creativity? YouTube is one of the biggest living archives we have, but if AI starts changing our work, are we actually moving backward? Things are already at the point of overproduction, and social media feels exhausting.  Lou and Kimi ask: should AI be making creative decisions, or do we need to bring back imperfection and stay connected to art? Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel! Episode Links:  BBC Article: YouTube secretly used AI to edit people's videos. The results could bend reality Rick Beato Youtube 

In this episode, Kimi and Lou sit down with award-winning visual artist Natalie Lennard, also known as self-portraitist Miss Aniela, and surreal fashion photographer Natalie Dybisz. Natalie reveals the genesis of her highly imagined photographic art and how she holds on to the joy of creating despite the sometimes difficult challenges of realizing her vision. Lou and Natalie talk about what it takes to follow inspiration with intention, how art evolves over time, and why exploring new directions keeps creativity alive. As Natalie Lennard, she is best known for her powerful and groundbreaking Birth Undisturbed series, a stunning and surreal exploration of feminism and natural childbirth. Natalie digs into how the series came together and how it affected her. The conversation also touches on the role of AI in art, asking whether it can support creativity without replacing it. Natalie also opens up about audiences, identity, and her exciting shift into writing a novel. Whether you’re an artist looking for inspiration or simply curious about the forces that shape creativity, this episode offers a thoughtful look at building art, vision, and meaning from the ground up. Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

In this minisode, Kimi and Lou dive into the fascinating and sometimes unsettling world of AI. Sparked by the appearance of an AI model in Vogue, they explore how artificial intelligence is transforming art, fashion, and creativity.  Is AI taking jobs from real artists and models? How is it impacting diversity and beauty standards? Could it be limiting the very creativity that inspires us? Kimi and Lou also reflect on the moments of raw, human creativity that AI cannot replicate and what we risk losing as technology advances. Whether you are a creator, a fashion lover, or simply curious about the AI revolution, this episode will make you rethink what you see online and what is real. Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

In this episode, Lou and Kimi sit down with Ava Roy who is celebrating her 25 years at We Players, a theater company that brings productions to life in breathtaking outdoor locations. Ava has been transforming California’s parks, shorelines, and historic sites into epic stages for over two decades. Known for crafting performances that merge place with play, Ava shares how physical space can ignite the imagination and shape the emotional arc of a show. She breaks down the deeply complex and alchemical process of creating a production that doesn’t just entertain but envelops, where the audience is not just watching but living the experience. We talk about how imperfection fuels art, the demands of building something from nothing, and how growing up surrounded by history shaped Ava’s uniquely intuitive and imaginative approach to directing. If you’ve ever wondered how a play comes together or how place can become a character of its own, this is a must listen. Her next show, The Keeper, co-created with Britt Lauer, a celebration of the small and the vast — an absurd and joyful drama premiering September 5–7, 2025 at the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center in Washington. Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

Join Lou and Kimi for a conversation that’s been on our minds lately: Is content the new spam? With so much noise on social media, AI-generated posts, recycled trends, and endless “value-packed” videos, we’re starting to wonder... has content lost its meaning?  It’s starting to feel like the internet is full of stuff that doesn’t really matter. And in the middle of it, the few pieces of truly good content stands out more than ever. We also talk about how real-world connection is becoming more valuable in a world saturated with screens. Humans need each other. We need third spaces like parks, coffee shops, and libraries. And maybe even fourth spaces... book clubs, running groups, or anything that pulls us offline and brings us face to face. This minisode is a quick reflection on stepping back, taking a breath, and finding space to think. There’s a kind of creativity that only shows up when you put your phone down and spend a little time alone with your thoughts.  Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember—always act a little cooler than you feel! Sign up for our newsletter Mentioned in this episode:  Brick is a physical device that temporarily blocks distracting apps and their notifications on a user's phone.  The September Issue  Lou Lesko of BlinkBid Explains Why Social Media is Useless Without Real World Connections

Have you ever watched a movie and thought, “This song is perfect for this scene?” That’s the work of a music supervisor, and in this episode, Kimi and Lou talk to one of the best. Terri d’Ambrosio is an audio post and music supervisor at MarcoCo. Studios, where she oversees projects from script to final mix. With experience in music production, licensing, editing, and sound design, she brings a rare depth of knowledge to every project she touches. Recent projects include We Live in Public, The Revolutionary Optimists, The Rape of Europa, Inequality For All, and HBO’s 50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Krause. She’s also worked in the music industry in A&R and record promotions, collaborating with artists like Jon Anderson, Ottmar Liebert, and Charo. In this episode, Terri gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to build a soundtrack. From clearing music rights and negotiating deals to the creative process of finding the perfect track, Terri wears a lot of hats to make it all happen.  If you’ve never heard of a music supervisor or never realized how much work goes into building a soundtrack, this episode will definitely surprise you. We loved this conversation and think you will too. Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember—always act a little cooler than you feel!

In this mini episode, Lou and Kimi revisit the story behind Chaos and Creativity and reflect on the power of origin stories. The ones that are messy. The ones that take time. The ones that remind us why we do the work.  It started at the bar at The Buckeye Roadhouse. Lou and Kimi, a bottle of red, and a lot of chaos. Now, many years later, we got to thinking… where does a creative journey really begin? Do origin stories give us a sense of hope? Do they help us find happiness, or explain why people become who they are  for better or worse? Is there always a bit of magic in the beginning, or sometimes a reason things go dark? Lou and Kimi explore how every artist has their own unique story, and why no one origin story needs to be better than another. It’s about finding the story within your story. And sometimes, asking the right questions to get to someone else’s. So tell us — what’s your origin story? Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember—always act a little cooler than you feel! Mentioned in this episode:  Songs from the Shed Full Origin Story of Chaos and Creativity 

This week Lou catches up with Tracy Marcellino-Aubert in LA, chef, artist, and creative force of nature. We first met Tracy at the Creative Supper Club in New York and from the start she’s been one of those people who just gets it. In this episode, Tracy takes us back to her early days in San Francisco, where the creative scene wasn’t about “making it” but just about being in it. At 22 she dove headfirst into "it" and hasn’t stopped. Lou and Tracy talk about food as art that you can eat, where the payoff is instant and deeply felt. Tracy shares what it means to be a creative and a professional, the tension between dreaming big and staying grounded, and why discomfort might be the secret ingredient to growth. This one is for anyone who has ever asked "Can I really do this?" Tracey reminds us that every creative act is an act of exposure and that’s what makes it real. Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember—always act a little cooler than you feel! Episode Links: The Menu Creative Supper Club We Are Ona

In this episode of Chaos and Creativity, Kim and Lou explore the generational divide in the creative world and how it affects everything from career choices to collaboration. Whether you're a Gen Z content creator or a Gen X designer, you've likely experienced the tension between old-school expectations and today’s creative hustle.  The Generational Stigma Around Creative Careers  Older generations often value stability, leading to the belief that a 9-to-5 job is the only legitimate career path. But younger creatives are pushing back, or at least trying to. The reality is, many creatives today hold down a traditional 9 to 5 just to support their creative work on the side. Lou and Kimi dig into what this path means, and how it's reshaping expectations around success and sustainability in creative fields.  Creative Workflows: Then vs. Now  Technology has changed how we create. Each generation approaches creativity differently. We talk about the tools, platforms, and processes that have shaped how we work. Younger generations are building on what's come before, remixing it with their own style and perspective.  Where’s the Crossover?  Despite having shared goals, there’s often little overlap between generations in the creative space. We ask: why don’t more multigenerational creative spaces exist?   Social Media and the Rise of Short-Form Content  Social media isn’t just a marketing tool, it’s become a creative medium in its own right. We look at how younger generations are using platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels not just to promote, but to create. What does that mean for storytelling, attention spans, and legacy forms of media?  The Rise of Hyper Niche Creators  Today’s creative economy thrives on specificity. We dive into how hyper niche creators, those who go deep into one topic, aesthetic, or format , are gaining traction and redefining what it means to be a “successful” creative.  Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember—always act a little cooler than you feel! Episode Links:  Brandy Melville Documentary – Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion   Soma FM Radio  KROQ Radio  NTS Radio