Ellipses Thinking..‪.‬ Ordinary Podcast Network

Max Wyman’s most recent book, “The Compassionate Imagination: How the Arts are Central to a Functioning Democracy” serves as an invitation to consider what might be possible, not if, but when we embrace culture, and creative imagination at the core of what it means to be a member of a thriving, growing, curious, healthy and functioning society. Wyman who worked as an arts critic and columnist for The Vancouver Sun and CBC Radio for over 30 years is the author of 7 books on the arts in Canada. He has served on the board of the Canada Council for the Arts and as President of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, is an officer of the Order of Canada and holds the Queen’s 25th, 50th and 60th Jubilee Medals.  
Considered “a timely book that expertly shows how the arts contribute to human flourishing in all its manifestations” by Anne Bamford the Strategic Director of Education, Culture and Skills for the City of London. From its announcement at being named a finalist for the 2023 Basillie Prize in Public Policy, the jury called the book “a profound and beautifully written examination” in which “Wyman offers deep insights into how and why arts and cultural funding is vital to safeguarding Canada’s present and future.” And finally, from Angela Elster, President and CEO of Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, “At a time when our world is in crisis, this stellar book brings clear vision and strategy.  The Compassionate Imagination presents a beacon of hope.”  Hope: An image that matched perfectly how I felt upon finishing the book myself.  

“Innovation = Transforming Ideas into Value”
Leo Chan firmly believes that everyone is an innovator and his mission is to create space, opportunity and practice so that everyone might believe it to be true as well and then to make it so in their lives. Leo is a people and heart-first entrepreneur and the founder of Abound Innovation Inc. An innovator himself, Leo holds 55 US patents and over 20 years of experience supporting organizations looking to unleash the innovative potential of their employees by transforming them into confident innovators. A glance at Leo’s schedule of appearances speaking at conferences and delivering hands-on workshops is evidence of the value placed upon innovation and creativity in the world today.  
For more information on Leo and his work, visit: https://aboundinnovation.ca/
 

Poet Diana Hayes has walked with grief for over 20 years since the death of her mother. The fact that both she and her mother, whom she remembers as her confidant, muse and dearest friend, were both facing a breast cancer diagnosis at the same time, added even greater complexity to her grieving process. Diana’s collection of poetry, The Language of Light serves as her tribute to her mother and has been alongside and within Diana as a central part of her creative and grieving process.
Since 1981, she has made her home on Salt Spring Island where she divides her time between writing, photography, producing literary events and festivals, and when possible, travel.  In 2002, she founded the Salt Spring Seals, an open-water swim team that swims year-round in the bays around Salt Spring and the Gulf Islands.

Season 3 - Oct 27, 2023

Jeremy Schonfeld’s powerful storytelling voice, reveals the heart of a man on a journey, vulnerably seeking to understand himself, his family and friends and his community.  Weaving across the story-threads of Jeremy’s musical tome, is his own deeply genuine exploration of fatherhood.  Having been moved by his music since it first landed in my ears over a decade ago, I continue to be drawn to this recurring theme of what it means to have a father and be a father; reflective of the joys and sorrows, dreams and regrets, times of absence and presence and above all, the wisdom gathered from both sides of the role. 
An award-winning Billboard-charting singer/songwriter, composer/lyricist, producer and performer, Jeremy is also co-founder of the Beacon Bonfire Music and Art Festival, held annually in Beacon, New York. 
As a bonus to end Season 2, on Father’s Day, Jeremy joined me in conversation about his creative process, his life as a storyteller and fatherhood. 
 

As a musician and producer of musical performances, Zohreh Gervais is fascinated by those all too rare moments within a musical performance, when an undeniably powerful, even transcendent experience occurred within audience members as they received the power of the art. It is her pursuit of these moments of awe that get her up and out of bed every day. 
Having spent most of her life on stage connecting with audiences, Zohreh is convinced that the universal human language is not math or music alone, but the emotional resonance that they can inspire. She loves exploring the intersections and overlaps between different fields and cultures. Regardless of the medium or discipline, Zohreh is on the hunt for the common threads that connect us all and allow her to build community and beauty in every project.
She and her team of innovators across multiple disciplines have recently launched the Winnipeg based company Neon Venus Productions, with the goal of creating the opportunity for audiences to experience the Magic of Awe.