Artland

Tina Karykous has been writing for a long time, ever since she got her first diary. She’s not trying to pay the bills with it—at least for now—but it’s clear that writing is a vital part of her life. Her journaling evolved into short stories and poetry, and she spent years learning how to tell stories and cultivating her love of language. After a push from her best friend, she added performing poetry to her repertoire, which eventually led to them creating a space called House of Abundance for people to come and be vulnerable with their art. We also talk about cultural assimilation, the joy of spelling, Avatar the Last Airbender, and how to stave off anxiety during these tough times. And at the end there’s a special spontaneous surprise.

Nigel Semaj (they/them) is, among other things, a theatre director. But it wasn't until late in high school that they learned there was even an option to take a theatre class and saw a play for the first time. Their first acting experience was a frustrating one because of the director, but it left Nigel thinking, "I could do better than this." That kicked off years of learning about directing for the stage and how to tell the stories that often go untold. We also talk about writing, gender, teaching, family, and figuring things out along the way. Trigger/Content Warning: Today's episode contains a brief mention of violence at 28:40-28:55 and a brief mention of sexual assault at 52:55-53:36

Mimi Hayes had her life all planned out, but things didn't end up going according to her plan. Fortunately, she was able to bounce back from hardship and find a new path, which led her to stand-up comedy and hosting her own podcast called Mimi and the Brain, among other things. We'll also talk about making it in Brooklyn, helping others by teaching them, and the excitement behind hockey.

An explanation of who I am and what this show is about!

For the inaugural episode of Artland, I get schooled by my buddy Kyle Fulton on how to achieve podcast glory, which Kyle knows a lot about after 9 years as host of On The Rocks, a podcast about video games, movies, and more. We also reminisce about our time together in film school, get real about life choices after college, and discuss how to buy alcohol when you're in your 30s but look like a 10-year-old.