The Creativity Lab Podcast

Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Writer & Playwright | S1-13

Welcome and thank you for joining us! Each episode we discuss a creative approach to life’s challenges. Today, co-host DR. STELLA SETKA and I talk to playwright and television writer SOFYA LEVITSKY-WEITZ about humanizing flawed real-life people and turning them into characters, complicated relationships both on and off screen, letting ideas percolate, and the love of revising. 
Sofya Levitsky-Weitz is a playwright and TV/film writer who splits her time between Brooklyn and Los Angeles. She’s written for Hulu’s THE DROPOUT, FX’s THE BEAR, and GASLIT for Starz. Her play "This Party Sucks" (on the 2019 Kilroy’s List) will be produced on Broadway next year. Her musical "Nostalgia Night" was produced in Winter 2022. She’s worked on several movies with Michael Showalter including Fox Searchlight’s THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE
My co-host STELLA SETKA is Associate Professor of English at West LA College, and the author of Empathy and the Phantasmic in Ethnic American Trauma Narratives which looks at the way that authors of Black, Jewish, and Indigenous descent employ culturally specific supernatural elements as a way of helping readers connect to historical traumas such as enslavement and genocide.
Interviewed by podcast creator & host Dr. Katherine Boutry

Jennifer Ortiz, Professor of English & Writer | S1-12

JENNIFER ORTIZ | Claiming Space: Racial Equity
Welcome and thank you for joining us! Each episode we discuss a creative approach to life’s challenges. Today, we’ll talk to Professor Jennifer Ortiz on being a woman of color in academia, creativity, code switching, consistently being yourself, always speaking up, claiming space, and being racially equity minded. 
After working in anti-proliferation and labor movements, Jennifer Ortiz returned to academia, serving two terms as Chair of the English Department at LA Trade Tech. She now teaches at West LA College. Jennifer worked with USC at the Center for Urban Education. She’s an expert practitioner in race conscious equity minded teaching.
Interviewed by podcast creator & host, Dr. Katherine Boutry

Joshua Elias, Artist | S1-11

Do Artists see the world differently? Artist JOSHUA ELIAS
Welcome and thank you for joining us! Each episode we discuss creative challenges. Today, I have the honor of talking to acclaimed, Los Angeles-based artist Joshua Elias about creative passion, the birth of a painting, making time and space for your art,  and whether artists see the world differently. An abstract artist, writer, and poet, Joshua has received artists residencies in Spain and France, and his works have been exhibited throughout the world, most recently in Rome and Tokyo. Joshua’s paintings have appeared in multiple publications and have been acquired by many private and public collectors including the RAND Corporation, Viceroy Hotels International, and the President of Iceland. One hangs in the state house outside of Reykjavik. Joshua’s art studio is at the Brewery Complex in Los Angeles.
Interviewed by podcast creator & host, Dr. Katherine Boutry

J.T. Chestnut, Activist & Athlete | S1-10

The Importance of Finding a Creative Outlet:Activist and Athlete JT CHESTNUT
Welcome and thank you for joining us! Each episode we discuss a creative approach to life’s challenges. Today, we talk to impressive former WLAC student, activist and athlete J.T. Chestnut about the importance of finding a creative outlet. JT explains how running saved his life and helped him to overcome foster homes, abuse, discrimination and addiction. JT is now thriving as a sponsored runner competing in marathons throughout the country as he completes a degree at CAL STATE LA in Marketing.
Interviewed by podcast creator & host Dr. Katherine Boutry

Peter Mitsakos, Architect | S1-09

Staying True to Your Creative Vision: Architect PETER MITSAKOS
Welcome and thank you for joining us! Each episode we discuss creative challenges. Today, I have the privilege of talking to Los Angeles-based architect Peter Mitsakos, about trusting your gut and staying true to your creative vision, while engaging the client in the design process. He’ll also discuss what defines good architecture, as well as his belief that “the most anti-creative thing in the world is fear.”
As West Edge Architects’ principal architect, Peter Mitsakos has planned, designed, managed, and overseen construction for an impressive range of projects in the academic, institutional, and private sectors over the past 35 years. 
Interviewed by podcast creator & host, Dr. Katherine Boutry

Lisa Diane Wedgeworth, Artist | S1-08

Creative Self-Confidence: Artist LISA DIANE WEDGEWORTH
Welcome and thank you for joining us! Each episode we discuss a creative approach to life’s challenges. Today, we talk to acclaimed visual artist Lisa Diane Wedgworth about being an “outsider artist,” overcoming perfectionism and self-judgment, developing creative self-confidence and defining success for yourself.
Lisa is an LA-based artist whose work takes form as painting, performance and video art. Her work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, Scotland and Paris; She teaches at Los Angeles City College and Glendale Community College and is the recipient of the Georgia Fee Artist Residency in Paris and the 2020 COLA Individual Artist Fellowship.
She produced "Conversations About Abstraction" to share the voices of abstract artists historically excluded from the Western canon and she is the Executive Director of Arts at Blue Roof, an artist-run non-profit organization in South LA offering an artist residency, mentorship and stipend to three underrepresented women artists per year. 
Interviewed by podcast creator and host, Dr. Katherine Boutry

Mario J. d’Anna Jr, Animation Director | S1-07

MARIO JOSEPH D’ANNA JR.
Today, we have the privilege of chatting with Mario J. d'Anna Jr., an animator who has drawn on hundreds of shows, including ANIMANIACS, GI JOE, PINKY & THE BRAIN, SCOOBY DOO, and SPIDERMAN. He was an animator and director for over 80 episodes of the long-running hit show BOB’S BURGERS. 
He is currently a director on the shows CENTRAL PARK on Apple Plus and THE GREAT NORTH on FOX, and also worked on the BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE. 
Creativity and creative problem solving are literally his job description. He joins us today from his combination high-tech animation studio and bedroom closet!
Interviewed by podcast producer & co-host, Keisuke Hoashi

Jennifer Phang, Film & TV Director | S1-06

JENNIFER PHANG made her mark as a filmmaker bringing poignant drama to fantastical realities, from independent feature films to prestige television for studios including Disney, Marvel, Amazon, Warner Brothers and Universal.
After graduating from the American Film Institute AFI’s MFA Directing Program, Phang’s first feature HALF-LIFE – a magic-real family drama – premiered at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. Her sophomore feature ADVANTAGEOUS also showed there, winning a Sundance Dramatic Jury Prize before being acquired by Netflix for an exclusive worldwide streaming deal. The sci-fi mother-daughter drama became a cult hit while Phang ventured into television, directing episodes of RIVERDALE, Marvel’s AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D, Amazon’s THE BOYS, DC’s STARGIRL, and the Disney pilot THE SECRET OF SULPHUR SPRINGS which became a hit series in 2021.  Phang later directed episodes of RESIDENT ALIEN for Amblin/UCP, AppleTV's adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s FOUNDATION, and HBOMax’s Emmy nominated THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT.  
Jennifer is currently in preproduction for the music- and dance-filled sequel films of Disney's THE DESCENDANTS franchise, tentatively named THE POCKETWATCH.
Interviewed by podcast producer & co-host, Keisuke Hoashi