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Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest is registered psychotherapist and author, Kate Robson, exploring her new book, Something to Hold Onto: Simple Images, Metaphors, and Practical Tools to Transform Your Life. Her book is an incredible resource where she shares her ideas about complex human problems through a therapeutic lens to help make challenging moments a little less challenging. You’ll hear about the power of metaphor, through metaphors, to get out of thought ruts. We explore ideas including: failure, happiness, metal flexibility, choice, avoidance, teamwork, identity, creativity, and connection. It’s deep, it’s gentle, it’s eye, mind and heart opening. This episode is co-hosted by Diana’s friend and colleague, Donna Cormier. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan Mail From the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 6!) This episode is guest hosted by Jordan Grey. Name: Clarendon Release Date: 1845 Designer: Robert Besley Classification: Slab Serif (Egyptian) Owned By: Today its multiple versions are owned by multiple foundries. Claim to Fame: This is the first first-ever registered and patented typeface. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan Mail From the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 6!) This episode is guest hosted by Sheilae Siagian. Name: San Francisco Release Date: 2014 Designer: Apple’s Team (based on Helvetica and FF DIN) Classification: Neo-Grotesque Sans Serif Owned By: Apple Claim to Fame: This is the first new typeface designed by Apple in nearly 20 years, it’s the UI font for Apple’s software. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan Mail From the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 6!) This episode is guest hosted by Sol Riquero. Name: Verdana Release Date: 1996 Designer: Matthew Carter and Thomas Rickner Classification: Humanist Sans Serif Owned By: Microsoft Claim to Fame: A typeface that was designed not for print, but for the screen, changing the way digital text looked and felt. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan Mail From the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 6!) This episode is guest hosted by Lilly Clements. Name: Garamond Release Date: Mid 16th Century Designer: Claude Garamond Classification: Old Style Serif Typeface Owned By: Not owned by one single person, but digital variations are owned by multiple different companies: Adobe Garamond, Monotype Garamond, Stempel Garamond, and EB Garamond Claim to Fame: Garamond is the most legible text typeface for publishing for centuries.  I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan Mail From the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 6!) This episode is guest hosted by Emma Pereira. Name: Calibri Release Date: 2007 Designer: Lucas de Groot Classification: Sans Serif Owned By: Microsoft Corporation Claim to Fame: Calibri made history by dethroning Times New Roman as the default font of the MS Office Suite. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan Mail Meet our guest, Marci Stepak, who grew up using Toronto public libraries in the late 1970s and early 80s. In this conversation, you’ll hear about Marci’s journey, walking 300 km to visit all 100 Toronto Public Library branches on foot over 10 days. She’s calling it Every Library TO and the walk starts today, April 7, 2026. This walk is both a tribute to her Mom (today marks 1 year of her passing) and also to raise to raise funds for the Toronto Public Library Foundation. You’ll hear a beautiful story of love, grief, and why libraries are more necessary than ever in an age of disconnection, loneliness, and algorithmic filter bubbles designed to reinforce existing beliefs. You’ll hear about the magic of curiosity while engaging in a library environment and why the library might become your new favourite hub for dating. This episode has something for every book and library lover. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan Mail Lights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 6 How do you wrap up a massive, semester-long creative project? Join Instructor Diana, alongside student hosts Shana and Alex, for the MDM class's final reflection and listening party. This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at the creative journey, covering everything the students learned about audience, structure, and distribution while launching their first podcasts. The conversation explores powerful themes of accountability and class citizenship, celebrating the collective energy and responsibility the students brought to the course. It highlights the real-world utility of their projects, noting the successful strategies and cross-promotion opportunities between different student shows like Big Bets and The Client Said What. If you've ever managed a collaborative project from concept to completion, this episode offers a motivating and honest look at the moment when all the creative, technical, and marketing pieces finally come together. Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.  I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan Mail Lights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 5 What happens when your audience demands a language shift? Multilingual creator Winnie Liao joins host Alex to discuss the reality of launching a content project outside the default English market. Winnie shares the unexpected journey of her show, which started in Mandarin in Taiwan and quickly grew into a bilingual platform driven by listeners who wanted to learn English. Winnie reveals the core lessons learned from her background in acting and comedy: success in podcasting requires authenticity, patience, and a willingness to be imperfect. She explains why being a "live wire" and simply being yourself on the mic is more effective than trying to adhere to a rigid structure. The conversation covers how she navigated the shift from corporate content creation to successful entrepreneurship, leveraging her show as a self-promotion tool that attracts new opportunities in Canada and beyond. Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.  I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan Mail Lights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 4 Are you optimizing your podcast for the right platforms? Jordan Blair, Podcast Producer at Buzzsprout, breaks down the current reality of podcast growth. Jordan explains why you must stop treating platforms like TikTok or Instagram and start treating them like libraries. You will learn the single most important rule for discoverability: use keyword-rich show and episode titles for SEO, or risk not being found at all. This episode is packed with practical tips, including how to use the Episode Consumption graph to pinpoint audience drop-off and fix consistency issues. Jordan confirms that listener support (donations and subscriptions) is the only monetization strategy that provides reliable, constant revenue, unlike volatile ad income. He also debunks the myth that asking for ratings and reviews helps your show grow. Learn the true mechanics of growth and how to avoid the "burnout" and "insecurity wall" that stops most podcasts before episode ten. Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.  I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan Mail Lights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 3 Host Alex sits down with Javon Martin to get real about building a podcast that's actually a business in disguise. His show, "100 Ways to Make $100K," isn't just content: it's the front door to something bigger. In this conversation, Javon breaks down how he created the "Millionaire Machine," a guest booking system he developed between episodes 30 and 55 that became the engine for his entire operation. You'll hear about the difference between planning and adapting (spoiler: you need both), why fast feedback matters more than perfection, and how connecting underprivileged youth with successful mentors became the driving force behind a scalable business model. Whether you're starting a podcast or already have one, this episode will shift how you think about content creation in the creator economy. Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.  I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan Mail Lights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 2   What goes into creating a piece of music that defines a cultural moment? Nick Thorburn, the composer behind Serial's unforgettable theme, sits down with host Shana to tell the story. Spoiler: it all happened in a weekend, and he had no idea the show would become a global phenomenon.  Nick walks through his creative process: how he approached the project as a straightforward freelance job, why he drew inspiration from Twin Peaks, and what it means to work as a "live wire" where the unconscious mind does the heavy lifting. He also gets into the business side of things, explaining why podcasters need to stop treating music like something you slap on at the end. Sound design matters. It shapes how people experience your show.  Whether you're launching a podcast or just curious about what happens behind the scenes in audio storytelling, this episode offers a rare look at the intersection of creativity, business, and cultural impact.  Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.  I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan Mail Lights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 1 Ever wondered what goes wrong behind the scenes of a podcast? The production team from "Ctrl Alt Narrate" is here to tell you everything. Sneesha (creative lead), Alisha (logistics and marketing), and Victoria (design) join host Alex to talk about the reality of collaborative podcasting: the good, the messy, and the lessons that came from nearly derailing the whole thing. This episode is packed with practical advice for anyone making content with a team. You'll learn why written contracts are non-negotiable (even with friends), how to avoid a post-production nightmare when syncing audio and video, and why you absolutely need a clear leader instead of running things like a college group project. The team also shares how they found their voice as hosts, evolved their brand identity, and managed the mountain of unedited episodes piling up. If you're a new podcaster, creative team member, or media student, this is required listening.  Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan Mail Introducing: Lights Microphone Podcast In Fall 2025, a group of graduate students set out to learn about podcasting from the ground up and Lights Microphone Podcast is the result. Created inside a podcasting special topics course within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.  The series features conversations with composers, producers, video podcasters, multilingual creators, and student makers — all sharing how they brought their shows to life. Part inspiration, part practical roadmap, Lights Microphone Podcast is about creative momentum, where big ideas meet bold action. The first of the 6 part series drops tomorrow. Hosted by Alex Sein and Shana Wu Audio Engineering by Tom Vu Produced + Visuals by Mili Bhatt Written content by Shrey Patel Guest Outreach Support by Lindsay Buckingham I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan Mail Down the rabbit hole we go! Each conversation in this series connects in unexpected ways. Every new episode spurring a new line of inquiry, like tunnels turning off in different directions, each with an origin that’s traced back to episodes 273, 276, and 280. This episode features net.art pioneer, Olia Lialina. She is credited with founding one of the earliest web galleries, Art Teleportacia. She is cofounder and keeper of One Terabyte of Kilobyte Age archive and a professor at Merz Akademie in Stuttgart, Germany. In this conversation, you’ll hear Olia’s origin story as a net artist, cross-pollinating film and Internet technology to tell interactive stories. You’ll hear her approach to capturing and cataloging the early web and how it’s evolved over time, including her long-standing GeoCities project. You’ll hear the surprising connections between interface design and stage design, how AI is changing the Internet and those who shape it, and how we can all reclaim our corners of the web. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)