https://www.patreon.com/artistdecoded
About Denna: Denna Thomsen grew up in Omaha Nebraska, later receiving a Bachelor of Arts from Colorado State University. She moved to California in 2007 to pursue a professional dance career and gained a spot with Hysterica Dance Company, founded by Kitty McNamee. In 2012, Alma Ha’rel gave Denna her first break acting and dancing alongside Shia Labeouf, in Fjogur Piano by Sigur Ros. She soon became infatuated with the commercial side and later danced beside Madonna, David Bowie, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, Florence + The Machine and SIA. With the rise of musical artist, SIA, in 2014, Denna began to assist Ryan Heffington on all future endeavors and more including Lorde, The OA, Kenzo Fashion Show, Mascots, and Homepod, directed by Spike Jonze. She has recently choreographed a scene from the new movie, Booksmart, and has been recognized for her work in the known Apple commercial, “SWAY.” Denna will next be spotted as an actress alongside Finn Wolfhardt and Mackenzie Davis, in an Amblin Entertainment film called “The Turning”, directed by Floria Sigismondi.
Topics Discussed In This Episode:
- How she found her love for dance and choreography
- Applying the structure and discipline of her practice to navigate through the contemporary dance world, and life in general
- Triggers for inspiration
- Continuing a writing practice as a way to inform dance, and other aspects of creativity
- Butoh Dance AKA The Dance of Darkness
- Poor accreditation, and mistreatment of dancers in the entertainment industry
- Challenges in sustainability that face contemporary dancers/choreographers
- Pushing through fear to become what you were meant to be
- Releasing tension through physical activity, and emotional vulnerability
https://www.instagram.com/dennathomsen/
https://www.patreon.com/artistdecoded
About Michael: Michael Phillip is a writer, seeker, and wonder-dipping host of the Third Eye Drops podcast. In it, he melds minds with some of the planet’s most interesting artists, scientists, philosophers, and consciousness explorers.
Topics Discussed In This Episode:
- The value of having a contemplative practice
- Søren Kierkegaard’s “Leaf of Faith”
- Michael’s first Ayahuasca experience
- Ancient mystery schools, and revealing the mysteries of life and death
- The Myer’s Briggs Personality Test
- “Awakening From The Meaning Crisis”, a YouTube series by John Vervaeke whom is a psychology and cognitive science professor at University of Toronto
- Addressing the COVID-19 crisis
- The cultivation of wisdom through authentic dialogue
https://www.patreon.com/artistdecoded
About Riley: Riley Stearns (Director + Writer) grew up in Pflugerville, Texas.
His short, The Cub, screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. His feature debut, Faults, starring Leland Orser, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, premiered at SXSW in 2014 and was released theatrically.
The Art of Self-Defense (2019) played at numerous international film festivals including the opening night slot of Munich Film Festival and was released domestically to critical acclaim. The Art of Self-Defense is Stearns’ second feature.
He is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under, Renzo Gracie black belt, Shawn Williams.
Topics Discussed In This Episode:
- Stearns' seven-year journey training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and studying at various schools including Renzo Gracie's academy in LA
- A discussion on Stearns' recent film “The Art of Self Defense”
- The concept of toxic masculinity, and its effects on society's expectation of people
- His use of dark comedy, and absurdity in breaking down the stereotypes of men and developing an overall message on the importance of being yourself
- Using his art as a means to express his emotions and deal with personal traumas, including a recent divorce
- On Stearns' writing process, incubation period, and organic approach in editing after the script is finished
- Finding a recent passion playing the mandolin
- His collaborations in film, and maintaining healthy relationships with those he works with
- Having wins and balancing what people like versus having a healthy ego as an artist, specifically concerning his reception of his 2013 short film “The Cub” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival
- Reflection on Stearns' 2014 film, Faults
- The Art of Self Defense is available to stream on Hulu
https://www.instagram.com/rileystearns/
https://www.patreon.com/artistdecoded
About Akira: “Making pictures is one of the earliest memories I recall. Before learning to write the alphabet I was drawing from my imagination in crayons. And over all the years that followed, there has never been a period where I didn’t continue the practice. I remember for example just after graduating high school and living on my own as a dishwasher with no ambitions in life but to get drunk and high. But when the party was over I would be in the kitchen of a house I didn’t live in, drawing past dawn. Or even when I was a student at the University of California Berkeley, on my way towards a corporate life, having never conceived even the possibility where art could be a profession, I filled my notebooks not with words from lectures, but with sketches of teachers and classmates. And though later I would become a ‘professional artist’, I sometimes look back at such moments if confused with the roots of my creativity. It started purely as an act of autonomy, where nothing outside myself influenced or affected it. I simply drew because I enjoyed it above all else. Sure, like anyone I’ve had plenty of typical life experiences that have brought their own joy, but nothing compares in consistency and meaningfulness that making art has provided. Even during those unavoidable periods with living that challenge us most, drastic life change/loss/death, art has functioned as a medium with giving meaning to suffering, transforming it into an experience with healing. This I hope, begins to describe the art I make. The drawings and paintings you see on this site, are similar to snapshots where the lens points in Life's direction with penetrating force. Every piece reflects a story only Life could tell. Up until my middle twenties it was enough to make art for its own sake. When I discovered making pictures offered so much more in such ways, a journey of exploration began. It’s fascinating to see how far it has come, and continuing forward never knowing where it may go.”
- Akira Beard
Topics Discussed In This Episode:
- Akira's journey into tattoo art versus his drawing and painting practice, and how concepts of spontaneity, the subconscious mind, and thinking work into his creative decision-making
- Using art initially as a necessity to undo years of emotional repression
- Getting out of his head, and living in the present moment
- Winning the Redbull art competition, and recontextualizing his preconceived notions of commercial art
- Akira's personal experience with expectations, and their effects both on relationships and art
- Leaving UC Berkeley, and corporate career aspirations for art school
- The important mentorship of an art professor
- Reflection on his time as a vagabond
- Incorporating uncomfortability into his life
- Beginning his practice in jiu-jitsu and self defense
- Documentaries: "The Real Mr. Miyagi" and " Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present"
- Thoughts on the hero's journey, and the human experience
www.akirabeard.com
https://www.instagram.com/akirabeard/
https://www.patreon.com/artistdecoded
About Jennifer: Jennifer Pochinski is an American figurative painter. Her work is characterized by gestural marks and bold color. Relationships, the male-female power dynamic, and humanity are key themes in her work.
She was raised in Hawaii and received her BFA from the University of Hawaii in Painting in 1991. Much of her young adulthood was spent traveling and living on the mainland USA and Europe. Since late 2010, she has been living and working in California.
Topics Discussed In This Episode:
- Pochinski's journey, including moving to Hawaii at a young age, experiencing her senior year abroad in Germany, living in Greece, and ultimately finding her way to Sacramento, CA
- Her decision in college to change her major to art at the University of Hawaii, and later a brief stint studying interior architecture at an art and design school in Greec
- Finding an escape and freedom from people pleasing in her artistic practice
- Pochinski's methods of exploration and experimentation in her art, such as layering, linoleum printing, and collage
- The act of letting her paintings "sit" and taking time to construct and deconstruct her work
- Pochinski's passion for art, art books, and learning about other artists' lives. Names mentioned: Sol LeWitt, Eva Hesse, Edward Hopper, Henri Matisse, Markus Lupertz, Georg Baselitz, Cherry Pickles, Christopher Brown, R.B. Kitaj, Eric Fischl, Richard Diebenkorn, Paula Rego, Philip Guston, Jack Oden, Willem de Kooning, Lucian Freud
https://www.instagram.com/jenniferpochinski/
https://www.patreon.com/artistdecoded
About Kit: Kit Dale was born on January 24, 1986, in Melbourne, Australia, growing up in the area’s eastern suburbs.
During his formative years Dale practiced a number of athletic activities, from karate to inline hockey, as well as Australian football (Aussie rules), a sport he competed in extensively prior to jiu-jitsu.
Australian rules football is widely recognized as one of the most physical sports in the world, generally played by large individuals. Although a very athletic competitor himself, Kit lacked the physicality of some of the other players, a handicap Dale sought to overcome by learning a few grappling tricks, starting his jiu-jitsu training in 2008 with Robert Parmakovski – a man who would, years later, become Kit’s own student.
BJJ came natural to Dale, who soon started allocating more of his time to grappling and less to Aussie rules football. While climbing the ranks of jiu-jitsu Dale trained with Bernie Jenkins (up to blue belt) and Peter De Been (up to brown belt), while also doing plenty of training and experimentation on his own or with friends/students.
Once the highly decorated grappler, Yuri Simões moved to Australia, Kit started training with the Brazilian. The two established a strong relationship as friends and training partners, and it was Yuri who promoted Dale to black belt on June, 2013. At the time of the ceremony, Dale had just under 5 years of training, this being one of the fastest rises to the rank recorded by then.
Dale would later move to California, USA, one of jiu-jitsu’s epicenters in order to improve his grappling skills while also attempting further his acting career.
Topics Discussed In This Episode:
- His early interests that led him to BJJ
- His rapid success in the world of BJ
- Challenging the status quo in BJJ. Live training as opposed to drilling.
- Kit’s method of “Specific Training”
- Improvement through active problem-solving
- His personal keys to a rewarding and happy life
- His recent interest in a career as an actor
- His relationship to problem-solving and the Socratic Method
- How he applies his methodology of BJJ mastery to the rest of his life.
https://www.instagram.com/kitdaleofficial/