Creatives Processing

Word of Mouth Creative
  • 5.0 (2)
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Creatives Processing is the podcast where creatives reveal their process and process what it means to create. It illuminates the human journey behind creative work – where professional creatives share their authentic processes, struggles, and triumphs with a host who champions creative collaboration and kindness.

  1. Alicia J. Rose on Building Menopunks, Hormonal Optimization, and Revolutionary Art

    MAR 10

    Alicia J. Rose on Building Menopunks, Hormonal Optimization, and Revolutionary Art

    In this deeply personal conversation with Alicia J. Rose, we explore what it means to transform vulnerability into creative power. Alicia shares her journey through RSD (Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria), ADHD, and imposter syndrome—revealing how embracing sensitivity rather than hiding it became her greatest asset. We dig into the genesis of her upcoming documentary "Menopunks," which examines how 23 years of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) misinformation has systematically disempowered Gen X women's creative potential. Alicia explains what hormonal optimization unlocked in her own creative practice, why she believes the medical establishment's treatment of menopause connects to broader political power, and how building goodwill within creative communities creates lasting impact that transcends individual recognition. About the Guest: Alicia J. Rose is a Portland-based filmmaker, photographer, musician, and cultural curator whose three-decade career has shaped the Pacific Northwest music community. From her early days as Miss Murgatroid playing avant-garde accordion to her current work with Party Witch, Alicia has consistently championed collaboration and authentic creative expression. As a booker, she helped define Portland's music scene at legendary venues like the Doug Fir Lounge and Mississippi Studios. She's directed over 35 music videos for artists including Bob Mould, Corin Tucker, and The Decemberists—whose visual aesthetic she helped establish through five to ten years of album photography and creative direction. Her upcoming documentary “Menopunks” and new podcast examines how hormone replacement therapy misinformation has impacted Gen X women's creative potential, featuring conversations with musicians and artists from Sleater-Kinney, Neko Case, The Thermals, and the broader Pacific Northwest creative community. The project has already garnered significant attention, growing from 1,000 to 7,000 Instagram followers in one week following the teaser release. We can’t wait to see it! Episode Highlights: Alicia's creative journey from childhood show-and-tell to multi-disciplinary artistUnderstanding rejection sensitivity dysphoria and how it manifests in creative workLearning to embrace sensitivity and empathy as creative strengths rather than weaknessesThe power of being a "yenta" and bringing people together through curationThe origin story of "Menopunks" and discovering hormone optimization and the connection between HRT and creative outputThe documentary research process and letting the story evolveWhy collaboration and service are more radical than individual achievement Connect with Alicia J. Rose: Website: menopunks.com, aliciajrose.comInstagram: @ajrhq, @menopunks, @party_witch, @girlsintroublemusicPodcast: Menopunks podcast Connect with Creatives Processing: Instagram: @creativesprocessingEmail: creativesprocessing AT wordofmouthcreative DOT co About Word of Mouth: Website: wordofmouthcreative.coServices: Strategic creative direction, brand development, and design for mission-driven organizations—always through the lens of humanizing the creative processApproach: Partner with Sarah to create authentic brand experiences that honor both strategic goals and human connection Subscribe to Creatives Processing to hear more conversations with creative professionals about their processes, challenges, and what it really takes to build sustainable creative careers. Rate and Review: If this episode resonated with you, please rate the show and share it with another creative who might benefit from Alicia's insights.

    1h 56m
  2. Highlights: Joan LeMay, artist, author, and musician

    FEB 24

    Highlights: Joan LeMay, artist, author, and musician

    In this highlights episode, Creatives Processing host Sarah Mulligan Williams features three insights from her conversation with Joan LeMay, an artist whose creative career spans visual art, music publicity, and collaborative book projects. Joan's unflinchingly honest approach to the business of creativity offers essential lessons for any creative professional navigating market challenges, pricing decisions, and the question of artistic value in an increasingly automated world. Between each highlight, Sarah shares her own perspective on sustainable creative practices, connecting Joan's experiences to her approach to humanizing creative work and building authentic client relationships that honor both artistic integrity and business realities. Featured Highlights: From Steely Dan to the Grateful Dead - How a pandemic fanzine idea became a critically acclaimed book series The Economy, AI, and the Value of Human Art - Joan's perspective on market challenges and why AI and budget services aren't actually competition The Transparency Experiment: Too Much Information - Joan's business lesson about how putting detailed process information on her website killed all inquiries Connect with Joan LeMay: Website: joanlemay.com Instagram: @joanlemay Book: Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and Other Sole Survivors from the Songs of Steely Dan (co-created with Alex Pappademas) Music: Viennetta; Bull Thieves Connect with Creatives Processing: Instagram: @creativesprocessing Email: creativesprocessing@wordofmouthcreative.co Highlights Episode: Listen to the companion highlights episode for Sarah's reflections on Joan's most powerful insights about creative business, market realities, and artistic value Learn More About Word of Mouth: Website: wordofmouthcreative.co Services: Strategic creative direction, brand development, and design for mission-driven organizations—always through the lens of humanizing the creative process Approach: Partner with Sarah to create authentic brand experiences that honor both strategic goals and human connection Subscribe to Creatives Processing to hear more conversations with creative professionals about their processes, challenges, and what it really takes to build sustainable creative careers. Rate and Review: If this episode resonated with you, please rate the show and share it with another creative who might benefit from these insights.

    24 min
  3. Joan LeMay on Fine Art and Fanzines, Pricing Lessons, and Perseverance

    FEB 10

    Joan LeMay on Fine Art and Fanzines, Pricing Lessons, and Perseverance

    Joan LeMay is a painter, analog illustrator, author, and musician whose creative journey spans fanzines, seventeen years as a music publicist, and a thriving visual art practice and commissions business. In this conversation, she speaks about what it actually takes to sustain a creative life—the financial extremes, pricing disasters, and why making art is vital. We dig into her book collaboration with Alex Pappademas on Quantum Criminals, her philosophy on the value of human-made work, and returning to her creative practice after open heart surgery. About the Guest: Joan LeMay is a Brooklyn-based painter and analog illustrator known for emotionally charged portraits and fragmented figurative work. Her art and text book with writer Alex Pappademas, Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and Other Sole Survivors from the Songs of Steely Dan, was called "weird and wondrous" by the New York Times and "one of the sharpest, funniest, and best books ever about any rock artist" by Rolling Stone. They're currently working on two more books for Random House—the first, Friends of the Devil, goes deep on the Grateful Dead. Her work has been exhibited internationally across New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Provincetown, London, and Cologne, and appears on several album covers. Before focusing on visual art full-time, Joan spent seventeen years as a music publicist—including at Sub Pop Records and running her own firm, Riot Act Media. Episode Highlights: How Quantum Criminals evolved from a pandemic fanzine to a multi-book deal Balancing multiple creative identities across visual art mediums and playing in bands Surviving open heart surgery and wanting to "live triple" afterward The pricing lesson she learned from oversharing process on her website Why human-made art carries value that can't be replicated Not letting the "working" part destroy the "creative" part of being a working artist Connect with Joan LeMay: Website: joanlemay.com Instagram: @joanlemay Book: Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and Other Sole Survivors from the Songs of Steely Dan (co-created with Alex Pappademas) Music: Viennetta; Bull Thieves Connect with Creatives Processing: Instagram: @creativesprocessing Email: creativesprocessing@wordofmouthcreative.co Highlights Episode: Listen to the companion highlights episode for Sarah's reflections on Joan's most powerful insights about creative business, market realities, and artistic value [RELEASES 2/24/26] Learn More About Word of Mouth: Website: wordofmouthcreative.co Services: Strategic creative direction, brand development, and design for mission-driven organizations—always through the lens of humanizing the creative process Approach: Partner with Sarah to create authentic brand experiences that honor both strategic goals and human connection Subscribe to Creatives Processing to hear more conversations with creative professionals about their processes, challenges, and what it really takes to build sustainable creative careers. Rate and Review: If this episode resonated with you, please rate the show and share it with another creative who might benefit from Joan's insights.

    2h 6m
  4. Creative Fuel: A 2026 Media Guide

    11/25/2025

    Creative Fuel: A 2026 Media Guide

    In this special episode, host Sarah Mulligan Williams shares recommendations from Creatives Processing’s 2025 guests—books, memoirs, and unexpected pieces of media that have genuinely shaped how these working creative professionals approach their craft. With the holidays approaching, think of this as both a gift guide for the creatives in your life and a way to prepare yourself for creative work in the new year. From David Byrne's theories on how environment shapes music, to books about overcoming creative resistance, to a wrestling match that's a masterclass in audience connection—these recommendations challenge conventional wisdom about where creative insights come from. --- KEY TAKEAWAYS Creative insights often come from unexpected sources—comedy memoirs, wrestling matches, and books about small business failures The common thread through all recommendations is intentionality and creating deliberate practices Creative growth is practical: expose yourself to different ways of thinking and find tactics that work for your brain Sometimes the best creative education comes from learning how other art forms solve problems --- FEATURED RECOMMENDATIONS Music & Production Insights “How Music Works” by David Byrne Recommended by John Michael Rouchell 🎧 Listen to John Michael’s full conversation and highlights episodes Practical Creativity & Business Resources “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield Recommended by Craig Winslow 🎧 Listen to Winslow Studio’s full conversation and highlights episodes “The Artist's Way” by Julia Cameron “The E-Myth Revisited” by Michael E. Gerber “You Are a Badass” by Jen Sincero Recommended by Kira Corbin 🎧 Listen to Kira’s full conversation and highlights episodes Unexpected Wisdom “The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to The Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More” by Arin Murphy-Hiscock “Leslie F*cking Jones” by Leslie Jones Recommended by Lee Hedgmon 🎧 Listen to Lee’s full conversation and highlights episodes Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest at Backlash 2023 in San Juan, Puerto Rico Recommended by Eliana Mendez Listen to Eliana’s full conversation and highlights episodes Host Recommendations “The Sunny Nihilist” by Wendy Syfret “The Crossroads of Should and Must” by Elle Luna --- ABOUT CREATIVES PROCESSING Creatives Processing is the podcast that illuminates the human journey behind creative work – where professional creatives share their authentic processes, struggles, and triumphs. About the Host Sarah Mulligan Williams is a creative director and the founder of Word of Mouth, a creative studio where she helps mission-driven organizations tell their stories through strategic branding and design. She is a champion of creative collaboration and human connection & kindness. Connect with Creatives Processing Instagram: @creativesprocessing   Email: creativesprocessing@wordofmouthcreative.co   Website: wordofmouthcreative.co/creativesprocessing Share your unexpected creative recommendations with us—we'd love to hear what books, media, or experiences have influenced your creative work! Creatives Processing will return in 2026 with more conversations exploring the human journey behind creative work. --- CREDITS Produced and edited by Word of Mouth Creative Theme music by John Michael Rouchell

    28 min
  5. Highlights: Kira Corbin, prop/interior stylist and homewares entreprenuer

    11/18/2025

    Highlights: Kira Corbin, prop/interior stylist and homewares entreprenuer

    In this highlights episode, Creatives Processing host Sarah Mulligan Williams features three transformative insights from her conversation with prop and interior stylist turned homewares entrepreneur Kira Corbin, founder of ceramics line Standard Affair. Kira's evolution from commercial styling to launching her own product line offers essential lessons about creative service, adaptive resilience, and the irreplaceable value of human collaboration in an increasingly automated world. Between each highlight, Sarah reflects on how these insights connect to her philosophy of humanizing the creative process, offering practical guidance for creative professionals seeking to build meaningful work that serves something larger than themselves. Featured Highlights: Reframing Creative Collaboration - How approaching styling as service rather than self-expression creates better outcomes and stronger client relationships through collaborative problem-solvingPreparation Meets Pivot - Why thorough preparation paired with adaptive thinking transforms unexpected challenges into growth opportunities rather than creative failuresRelationships Over Efficiency - Kira's choice to work with an experienced developer rather than AI tools, and why investing in human collaboration creates stronger creative outcomes Connect with Kira Corbin: Instagram: ⁠@kiracorbin⁠, ⁠@standardaffair⁠ ⁠kiracorbin.com⁠⁠, ⁠standardaffair.com⁠⁠

    16 min
  6. Kira Corbin on Prop Styling, Creative Growth, and Launching Her Homewares Line

    11/04/2025

    Kira Corbin on Prop Styling, Creative Growth, and Launching Her Homewares Line

    Join us for a conversation with prop and interior stylist turned homewares entrepreneur Kira Corbin, founder of ceramics line Standard Affair. After years of perfecting the art of curating and arranging objects to tell stories for clients, magazines, and cookbooks, Kira embarked on a two-year journey to create something entirely her own. This honest conversation explores the evolution from creative service to creative authorship, covering everything from the meditative aspects of styling to the challenging realities of product development. Kira shares insights into her commercial styling process, the importance of cultural exploration in creative work, and why she believes human craftsmanship matters more than ever in an automated world. Whether you're a creative professional considering your own evolution or simply curious about what goes into creating beautiful objects, this episode offers valuable perspectives on creative courage, authentic growth, and redefining success on your own terms. Episode Highlights: How Kira’s high school exchange year in Argentina sparked a lifelong love of cultural exploration and language learning Her journey from graphic design student to discovering styling at Glamour magazine The transition from fashion styling to still life and food styling, and why she prefers the intuitive, meditative quality of prop styling The comprehensive process of commercial styling, from initial client briefs to on-set problem-solving Her philosophy that there are many right answers in styling Why she launched Pillar, her retail shop, and the strategic decision to close it after three years Working with a career coach to break circular thinking patterns and make intentional growth decisions The two-year development process for Standard Affair, including factory negotiations and the compromises between artistic vision and production realities Choosing Portugal for manufacturing: personal heritage, cultural craftsmanship, and sustainability innovations Why she believes creative work provides essential relief and beauty in people's daily lives The human element in manufacturing and why collaboration beats automation Connect with Kira Corbin: Instagram: @kiracorbin, @standardaffair kiracorbin.com⁠, standardaffair.com⁠

    1h 54m
  7. Highlights: Eliana Mendez, creative director/photographer/videographer behind Human Centric Media

    10/21/2025

    Highlights: Eliana Mendez, creative director/photographer/videographer behind Human Centric Media

    In this highlights episode, Creatives Processing host Sarah Mulligan Williams features three essential insights from her conversation with creative director, videographer, and photographer Eliana Mendez. Eliana’s approach to storytelling demonstrates how authentic integration of self and work, combined with genuine care for subjects and clients, creates more powerful creative outcomes. Between each highlight, Sarah explores how these insights connect to her philosophy of human-centered creative leadership, offering practical guidance for building sustainable creative practices that prioritize authenticity, empathy, and service over perfection and validation. Featured Highlights: Your Values ARE Your Value - How integrating your authentic self into your work creates more effective creative outcomes and builds lasting professional relationships What AI Can't Replicate - Why human empathy, emotional intelligence, and genuine investment remain irreplaceable in creating work that truly resonates Alignment Over Accommodation - Reframing client education as an opportunity to demonstrate value rather than defend worth, and how service-oriented approaches build stronger business relationships Connect with Eliana Mendez: Website: humancentricmedia.com Instagram: @humancentricmedia Want to hear more? The full conversation with Eliana covers their entire creative philosophy, from documentary-style production to redefining client relationships through authentic care. Listen here! Featured Highlights:

    17 min
  8. Eliana Mendez on Human-Centric Storytelling and Building Value-Aligned Creative Partnerships

    10/07/2025

    Eliana Mendez on Human-Centric Storytelling and Building Value-Aligned Creative Partnerships

    Portland-based creative director, photographer, and videographer Eliana Mendez has built their entire practice around a simple but powerful belief: genuine human connection is what makes media truly impactful. Working primarily with nonprofits and community organizations, Eliana has discovered how to turn their natural curiosity and genuine interest in people into their greatest professional strength. In this episode, Eliana shares how they moved from commodity-based photography to creating authentic visual stories that get to people's hearts and stick in their minds. This honest conversation explores how personal values can become your competitive advantage, the importance of thinking backwards from the life you want rather than forward from where you are, and why authentic human connection remains irreplaceable in our increasingly automated world. We dive deep into their unique approach to client relationships, their fascinating use of professional wrestling as a creative metaphor, and why they believe the future of visual storytelling lies not in perfection, but in humanity. Whether you're a creative professional looking to differentiate your work or someone interested in the intersection of authenticity and business success, this conversation offers valuable insights into integrating who you are with what you do. Topics Mentioned: Eliana’s journey from journalism to starting their own creative studio How mentors helped Eliana recognize their natural strengths as professional assets Using professional wrestling as a metaphor for creative process and improvisation Building a business around human-centric storytelling and authentic connection The importance of thinking backwards from the life you want to live How pricing and positioning decisions shape your client ecosystem Eliana's perspective on AI and what makes human creativity irreplaceable The value of imperfection and authenticity in visual storytelling Turning personal curiosity and empathy into professional competitive advantages Defining success on your own terms rather than external metrics The intersection of personal values and business strategy How authentic relationships translate into better creative work and business outcomes Connect with Eliana Mendez: Website: humancentricmedia.com Instagram: @humancentricmedia

    2h 6m
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About

Creatives Processing is the podcast where creatives reveal their process and process what it means to create. It illuminates the human journey behind creative work – where professional creatives share their authentic processes, struggles, and triumphs with a host who champions creative collaboration and kindness.

Information

  • Creator
    Word of Mouth Creative
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Word of Mouth Creative
  • Show Website
    Creatives Processing