A Life Creative Podcast

A divorce and the pandemic aren't the events most people credit for their creative breakthrough — but for collage artist James Gallagher, they were turning points.
In this episode of A Life Creative, host Melañio Gomez sits down with James — introduced through James' wife, prop stylist Pam Morris — to trace a winding path to full-time artistry. James spent years inside and outside the medium of collage, pulled in and out by professional, economic, and life events, before a period of real soul-searching turned art into something closer to therapy. That self-reflection showed up in the work, and it's what finally connected him to the wider collage community.
Today James is known as a curator, collaborator, portraitist, and educator — hosting live collage events that help non-artists find something unexpected with cutting tools and a stack of paper.
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David Weeks is a Rhode Island School of Design graduate who is recognized for his iconic lighting designs crafted in his Brooklyn studio.  Post college he made his way to New York City and did what many artists do: freelance and say 'yes' to just about everything.  He eventually landed a position in the studio of acclaimed jewelry designer Ted Muehling who modeled a standard of excellence and beauty echoed in David's work to this day.
Show-host Melañio Gomez became aware of David's work years ago and happily acquired a bespoke lamp from one of the many maker fairs at which David would create lamps from spare parts on the spot.  Fast forward to now and we're delighted to catch up and hear more about this Athens, GA (home of the B-52's!)  native.
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Followers of A Life Creative podcast may recall that host Melañio Gomez lived in Brussels, Belgium for 10 years.  During that time he met today's guest—Clinton Stringer—who is an accomplished contemporary dancer, having danced for 8 years with Rosas, a dance company founded in the 1980's by Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker.
Clinton now works as a rehearsal director with Rosas and is often called into action to teach other dance companies how to perform the pieces created by Rosas.  In a parallel track, he trained as a graphic designer and set up his own design studio.  He models how to perform well in two wildly different creative pursuits.
We're happy to welcome Clinton on today's episode of A Life Creative.  See more about Clinton and A Life Creative at the following links:
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Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, JC Garcia-Lavin came of age as part of the city’s vibrant art scene before building a successful career as an interior stylist, working with brands like CB2, Williams Sonoma Home, West Elm, Crate & Barrel, and Pottery Barn. His editorial work has appeared in Elle Decor and Condé Nast Traveler. 
Host Melañio Gomez first knew JC by reputation before the two met while working in the studios of Williams Sonoma. In this episode, JC reflects on his early days in the Miami art scene, his transition into styling, and his recent return to making art—sharing the influences and process behind his work. 
Check out the links to see JC's work.

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Lucky for us at A Life Creative podcast our friend Stephen Kent Johnson--who photographs interiors for the likes of Architectural Digest--introduced us to Wendy Goodman-- who writes the Design Hunting column for New York magazine and the Great Rooms content for Curbed (both part of Vox Media).  Her features give readers a wonderfully astute peek into the homes and lives of a cross-section of New Yorkers.  
But before landing this enviable job, she's had many layers in her life and work experience that uniquely qualify her to be a curator of home design content in the pages of New York.  We chat about her upbringing in New York City, her creative and artistic parents, her early post-college years as an acting student taught by Stella Adler and Olympia Dukakis, her first magazine job at Harper's Bazaar as Anna Wintour's assistant, and the steps that led her to writing about interiors.  She's also written 3 books: May I Come In?, published in 2018, The World of Gloria Vanderbilt, published in 2010, and Tony Duquette, about the renowned west coast interior designer and Hollywood set designer, co-written with Hutton Wilkinson and published in 2007.
Listen in to hear the entire story.

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@alifecreative on Instagram
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