Your Creative Mind

Why your talent isn't the problem: your silence is, and how to fix it without feeling fake. Does the thought of introducing yourself at an industry event make your stomach drop? You're not alone, and you're not broken. In this episode, you'll learn why so many talented artists, playwrights, and creatives freeze when it's time to talk about their own work, and exactly what to do about it. Drawing from real classroom moments teaching young artists who'd rather whisper their ideas at lunch than present them aloud, you'll walk away with five practical techniques for building creative confidence, networking without feeling fake, and getting yourself into the rooms where opportunities for grants, exhibitions, and productions actually happen. If self-promotion makes you cringe, this episode will change how you think about being seen. Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg What you need to know today. Choose your Functional Tarot card here. This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | *Affiliate Link

Staying Creative in Difficult Times: How to Keep Your Spark When the World Feels Heavy How can you protect your energy, stay creative, and build meaningful collaborations without burning out? In this episode of Your Creative Mind, I talk with author and activist Kitty Stryker, who has spent over a decade shaping conversations around consent culture, sustainable activism, and healthy creative practices. You’ll learn how to set boundaries that honor your work, pace yourself so your creativity stays strong, and choose your battles with intention. Kitty also shares practical strategies for balancing art and activism, collaborating with respect, and finding joy even when the world feels heavy. If you’re a writer, artist, or changemaker seeking ways to sustain your creativity, this conversation offers tools and inspiration to help you live with more curiosity, confidence, and compassion. https://thornapplepress.com https://kittystryker.com/ http://medium.com/@kittystryker https://trash-panda-periodical.ghost.io/ https://bsky.app/profile/kittystryker.bsky.social https://www.facebook.com/officiallykittystryker https://thornapplepress.ca/books/love-rebels/ This week's card Connect with Izolda Get exclusive content and bonus podcast episodes when you join my Patreon. Website: https://IzoldaT.com BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/izoldat.bsky.social. Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg Submit a Play to the Your Creative Table Read Podcast Series https://crossroads.consulting/ This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm. I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset It’s also brought to you by my podcast host, Podbean! I love how simple Podbean is to use. If you’ve been thinking of starting your own podcast, Podbean is the way to go!** Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | **Affiliate Link

If your creative vision feels bigger than your current skills, you’re not failing. You’re growing. In this episode of Your Creative Mind, Izolda Trakhtenberg shares a powerful insight from playwright Lauren Gunderson that reframes creative hesitation for writers, musicians, actors, and artists. This isn’t about fear of judgment. It’s about artistic skill, vision, and timing. Through personal stories from playwriting, songwriting, and performance, Izolda explores how creative confidence is built draft by draft, note by note. You’ll gain a practical mindset for moving past creative paralysis, honoring your current abilities, and trusting the process of artistic growth. If you’re wrestling with writer’s block, unfinished projects, or the question “am I good enough yet?”, this episode offers clarity, permission, and a path forward that is grounded in experience, generosity, and creative leadership. This week's card to contemplate Listen to the episode to learn what to meditate on. Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm. I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset It’s also brought to you by my podcast host, Podbean! I love how simple Podbean is to use. If you’ve been thinking of starting your own podcast, Podbean is the way to go!** Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | **Affiliate Link

Al Petteway was arguably one of the top ten guitarists who ever lived. I was also lucky enough to call him a dear friend. Enjoy this encore episode with a terrific human and a musical master. New episodes will return in the new year. This Week's Card to Contemplate: Confidence Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm. I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset It’s also brought to you by my podcast host, Podbean! I love how simple Podbean is to use. If you’ve been thinking of starting your own podcast, Podbean is the way to go!** Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | **Affiliate Link

Turn Artistic Vision into Real-World Experiences People Can’t Stop Talking About with Liz Yilmaz and Mara Driscoll How do you create collaborative art that sparks emotion, builds community, and keeps audiences talking long after the performance ends? In this episode of Your Creative Mind, Izolda talks with Mara Driscoll and Elizabeth Yilmaz. They are the visionary producers behind Art Bath, an immersive, interdisciplinary performance salon showcased by Lincoln Center, 92NY, and many other institutions. You’ll learn practical strategies for building trust in the creative process, developing meaningful artistic collaborations, and creating immersive art experiences that foster human connection. Their work proves that when artists support artists, everyone rises, which is an essential reminder for creatives, entrepreneurs, and leaders who want to communicate with confidence and purpose. If you’re seeking long-lasting creative inspiration and actionable ideas to elevate your next project, this conversation will give you tools to grow, connect, and create with courage. www.artbathnyc.com https://www.instagram.com/artbathnyc/ Mara Driscoll Mara Driscoll is a creative producer, curator, arts administrator, and artist. As Co-Founder and Producer of Art Bath with Elizabeth Yilmaz, she has collaborated with and presented more than 300 artists across disciplines, including leading figures in music, dance, opera, theater, and visual art. Through Art Bath, she has co-curated programs presented by Lincoln Center, 92NY, the Prototype Festival, Fotografiska, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and more. Mara also serves as Program and Advancement Manager for the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA), a global network of 500 performing arts leaders across 60 countries. In this role, she oversees several of ISPA’s key initiatives, including the Pitch New Works and Fellowship programs. Before turning her focus to producing, Mara spent years as a professional dancer and choreographer. She is a longtime member of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and her choreography has been presented by New York Theatre Workshop, The Phillips Collection, and New Chamber Ballet. She holds a degree from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she focused on intersections between art, religion, and society. Liz Yilmaz Elizabeth Yilmaz is a professional dancer, educator, and producer based in New York City. Elizabeth is a former member of Ballet Hispánico and a longtime dancer with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. She holds a B.A. in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College and completed Harvard Business School’s Crossover Into Business program in 2024. As a dedicated dance educator, Elizabeth is on faculty at both The 92nd Street Y (92NY) and the Joffrey Ballet Trainee Program. She is also the co-founder and producer of Art Bath NYC, an immersive, multidisciplinary salon series launched in 2022 with fellow dancer Mara Driscoll. Art Bath brings together musicians, dancers, poets, opera singers, and visual artists to create innovative performance experiences. Notable Art Bath collaborators include the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the Prototype Festival, 92NY, Fotografiska New York, and now Lincoln Center's Festival of Firsts. Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm. I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset It’s also brought to you by my podcast host, Podbean! I love how simple Podbean is to use. If you’ve been thinking of starting your own podcast, Podbean is the way to

Learn how mindfulness practices for children can transform how your family or team handles stress, builds focus, and fuels creative flow. What if teaching your child mindfulness could make your whole family calmer, more creative, and more connected? In this episode of Your Creative Mind, Izolda talks with Veronica Moya, author of Goom Finds His Happy Place and founder of Mindful V, about how meditation can help kids build emotional resilience, confidence, and genuine self-love. You’ll hear practical ways to bring mindfulness into your home—even if you’ve never meditated before—and learn how these small daily habits spark focus, empathy, and peace for both kids and parents. If you’re a parent, teacher, or anyone who wants to nurture creativity and calm in the next generation, this conversation offers real-world inspiration you can start using today. Connect with Veronica https://veronicamoya.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@VeronicaMoya https://www.instagram.com/veronicamoyacoach/ This week's card Connect with Izolda Get exclusive content and bonus podcast episodes when you join my Patreon. Website: https://IzoldaT.com BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/izoldat.bsky.social. Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg Submit a Play to the Your Creative Table Read Podcast Series https://crossroads.consulting/ This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm. I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset It’s also brought to you by my podcast host, Podbean! I love how simple Podbean is to use. If you’ve been thinking of starting your own podcast, Podbean is the way to go!** Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | **Affiliate Link

I share why starting over after 50 isn’t a crisis but a gift. Creativity, courage, and confidence are just beginning.

Breaking Creative Barriers with Outrageous Ideas What makes a story both unforgettable and transformative? In this episode of Your Creative Mind, I sit down with author and playwright Susan Sloate, whose work spans novels, musicals, and autobiographical love stories. Susan shares why she believes happy endings carry lasting value, how outrageous creative choices often lead to the strongest storytelling, and what writing across different forms has taught her about character and structure. You’ll hear practical strategies to turn roadblocks into breakthroughs, insights on weaving life experiences into art, and how to rekindle joy in your creative routine. If you’re searching for long-lasting writing inspiration, actionable tools, and a fresh perspective on building confidence through storytelling, Susan’s wisdom will give you both guidance and motivation. Connect with Susan Website: https://susansloate.com/home Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susan_sloate/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusanSloateAuthor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susansloate/ X: https://x.com/susan_sloate Get exclusive content and bonus podcast episodes when you join my Patreon. Connect with me Website: https://IzoldaT.com BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/izoldat.bsky.social. Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg Submit a Play to the Your Creative Table Read Podcast Series https://crossroads.consulting/ This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm. I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset It’s also brought to you by my podcast host, Podbean! I love how simple Podbean is to use. If you’ve been thinking of starting your own podcast, Podbean is the way to go!** Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | **Affiliate Link