Advertise on podcast: Positive Creativity Podcast

Chelsea is a writer, director, and actor living in Los Angeles. She has made 8 short films and web series with screenings at over 100 film festivals worldwide. She is one of 8 fellows chosen for the Inaugural Blumhouse and K Period Media Horror Screamwriting Fellowship, formally supported by Sundance. There, she is developing her feature film WOMEN IN JEOPARDY. As an actor Chelsea can be seen on TV in THE MINDY PROJECT, CRIMINAL MINDS, CASTLE and THE JINX. We loved chatting with Chelsea about her recent artist dates and ways to stay inspired as an artist within the ups and downs. It was also amazing to hear about her journey from being only an actor to such an impressive multi hyphenate- actor, writer, director, and filmmaker. We appreciated her honesty opening up about the effects of the strike on her career and ways she has pivoted in this time to stay creative and focused on her own projects. Chelsea has so many insights for beginning filmmakers, she is truly collaborative, smart, and generous and we know you’ll enjoy listening to this conversation.

Caytha Jentis is a writer, director, and producer. Her film/tv credits include And Then Came Love, The Other F Word, Bad Parents, and Pooling to Paradise. Her stories challenge the old tropes of motherhood with heightened reality humor. In this conversation, we chatted about Caytha’s play called Sex Work, Sex Play which will have its off broadway world premiere at the TADA Theatre on September 13th. We also talked about the inspiration for the piece and the idea of de-stigmatizing sex work. We also loved hearing Caytha’s story of how she became an an independent filmmaker and its challenges. She has some great advice for artists including “you’e a producer until someone takes that job away from you- you have to do the hustle.” We know you’ll be inspired hearing Caytha’s stories and insights.

John Frank Levey is the 4 time Emmy Award-Winning Casting Director of iconic television shows ER and The West Wing. He has also cast China Beach,  Southland, Animal Kingdom and Shameless during a nearly 40 year career. He is the author of Right For The Role, a professional memoir. He is also a director in the theatre. John has had such a prolific career in casting and directing, and we loved hearing his story, insights, and experiences. It was especially cool to hear about his new book Right for the Role, which chronicles his personal and professional career. As a heads up, we had some technical difficulties in this episode. We thank you in advance for your understanding and hope you enjoy the episode!

Emily Nash is a proud SAG-AFTRA and AEA actor, singer, writer, and producer living in Los Angeles. Her debut proof of concept short film Judy-ism premiered this summer at the Oscar-qualifying LA Shorts International Film Festival and will screen next at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival.  We loved speaking with Emily, and appreciated her joyful nature and positive outlook. She’s an incredibly talented actor, writer, and producer, and we really enjoyed hearing her unique story. Her bravery and ambition in moving across the country and creating her film, Judy-Ism was also super inspiring. It was so cool to hear about that project, and to have a greater conversation about Jewish stories and representation. Emily’s genuineness is so refreshing, and we are certain you will enjoy this episode. Happy listening!

Christina Shea-Wright is an acting coach, actor, director, writer, podcast host, producer, and gluten free baker. She lives in New York City with her husband and 2 perfect cats. Christina is a true multi-hyphenate, and we loved hearing her journey into these different roles, which allow her to explore all parts of her artistry. It was especially exciting to hear about her passion for coaching and being a cheerleader for her clients and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who believe in you. We also loved what she had to say about how to bring more humanity to the process of being an artist, especially in this challenging time of actors and writers being on strike. It’s clear that collaboration with other artists is essential to Christina and we know you’ll be inspired listening to her stories and perspectives.

Rebecca is a writer, actor, story doula and culture worker skilled in the Blewish arts. She creates and facilitates as a Black, Jewish, Swazi, American woman. She holds a BA from Mills College in creative writing, and an MFA from NYU's graduate acting program. Her monologues, psalms, essays, comedy, poetry, and plays have been featured in Lilith Magazine, Hadassah Magazine, Hillel International, Reboot, as well as other theaters, educational centers, and Jewish arts and culture spaces. Most recently she performed in the world premiere of “Love All,” written by Anna Deavere Smith at La Jolla Playhouse and in “At the Wedding” at Lincoln Center’s LCT3. We loved chatting with Rebecca and hearing her story of becoming an actor. From new play projects to a novel to documentary theatre pieces to teaching creative writing to participating several fellowships, she has SO many impressive, meaningful projects going on and makes it look so easy. We talked about doing work that is in alignment with Rebecca’s values and her integrity, and how her identity as a Black and Jewish woman informs her artistry.  It was especially fun to talk about her character work in the form of an orange. Rebecca is warm, engaging and inspiring, and we are certain you will enjoy this episode. Happy listening!

Chris Domig was born and raised in Salzburg, Austria. He works as an actor, director, educator and musician in both Europe and the USA. He is the founder of the award-winning Sea Dog Theater in New York City with a mission to tell stories of alienation and reconciliation. We loved hearing his story of becoming a story teller and what inspired him to create his own theater company. He has so many gems of wisdom to share in this conversation, and we especially appreciated the ideas of “finding your people” and bringing those people to the artistic table. Chris is passionate about cultivating gatherings that are immediate and life changing for artists and audiences alike. He believes the necessary antidote for a world hooked to the Internet are embodied stories in intimate settings, where strangers have the possibility of becoming friends. Happy listening!

Michael J. Morgan is a dynamic and versatile creative whose passions encompass music, design, art, clothing, poetry, and more. He is a visionary artist, entrepreneur, and the creative force behind STTTUS, a Consultancy that focuses on helping businesses achieve unimaginable goals. He inspires others to embrace unconventional paths of creativity while fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth. We loved chatting with Michael and hearing his unique story and perspective. He’s incredibly smart and insightful, and he has a talent for finding nuance in the intersection of art and business. We really appreciated his big ideas and insights, and there were so many incredible aha moments in our conversation. Michael has such passion for connecting and amplifying the work of artists, and we sure you will find this episode valuable. Happy listening!

Jency Allison Weeks is an actress, producer and children’s book author known for her work in TV shows such as Nashville and Dallas. Jency also hosts a podcast called “Lights, Camera, Rolling…MOM!” focusing on stories from moms in the entertainment industry. We loved hearing her unique story of starting a career in the arts after becoming a mom, and how her background in sports management informs her artistic career. We also discussed her move from Dallas to the Northeast and her involvement in her new community (neighborhood lip synching competitions anyone?) and the importance of having a full life outside of the industry. Jency’s positivity and fearlessness of stepping into the unknown shine through in this conversation and we can’t wait for you to listen. Enjoy!

Nicole Pryor Dernersesian is the founder of Firestarter Entertainment, a talent agency that represents over 1000 actors for television, film, commercials, print, and theatre. Before FSE, Nicole performed in the The Phantom of the Opera for 6 1⁄2 years, becoming the first African American to play the role of The Confidante. Nicole taught vocal lessons for over 14 years, including a two-year stint as an Adjunct Professor at her alma mater, Pepperdine University. In 2019, Nicole launched the non-profit organization, Inclusion Media Group: Striving to make a more inclusive world by creating content that tells diverse stories. Nicole is an extremely impressive woman, and we were so inspired by her ambition and her accomplishments. Her creativity, willingness to do things differently than they’ve always been done, and ability to see possibility is truly incredible. She is such a smart businesswoman, and in this episode, she also provided some really valuable financial advice for entrepreneurs that can definitely be applied to individuals as well. Nicole is amazing, and her positivity radiates throughout our whole conversation. We are certain you will enjoy this episode and find it valuable. Happy listening!

Harold Lewter is a partner and talent manager at CLA Partners. Born and raised in the Bronx, Harold was destined to forever be a fan of all thing’s entertainment. He was exposed to the arts, specifically musical theater, at the ripe old age of 8 years old, when his mom took him to see Cats on Broadway. His start in the business of representation began at Independent Artists Agency, where he met his mentor and now business partner Cyd LeVin. We loved chatting with Harold about his path to working in talent representation, and it’s clear from our conversation how much excitement he has for working with clients. And discovering new talent! It was also so inspiring to hear how he advocates for clients and to learn about how the industry has increased transparency in recent years with equity and inclusion. Harold is warm and passionate, and whether he's cooking, playing tennis or working with clients, he gives his endeavors 110 percent. We know you’ll enjoy hearing his insights and stories!

Lauren Veteri is an executive producer, who has over 200 credits to her name, most notably 10 seasons of VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop NY.” In 2018, she & her cousin co-founded Dola Media, a content creation agency that produces everything from commercials and docu-series to internal corporate content for Fortune 500 companies. We had so much fun chatting with Lauren! It was so interesting to hear about the way that reality tv functions as opposed to narrative tv, and we enjoyed hearing her journey of being in the music industry to being a tv producer, to eventually starting her own production company. Lauren is so warm and down to earth, and we are so excited for her in her newest venture, “mom.” We smiled so many times throughout this episode and know you will too. Happy Listening!