Like Really Creative

Episode 29: How to Capture the Process of Surrender on Film with Rodney Ellis

Rodney Ellis—photographer and filmmaker—spent part of his mid-twenties teaching at the same high school he attended, feeling the weight of shame because he knew he "could be doing more.”  He couldn't pinpoint what he was chasing until a mysterious man in black shades at a festival told him he'd lived in 50 places and learned that misery follows you everywhere. The happiest he'd ever been was in Memphis. That conversation landed while Rodney was shooting "Hold On, Be Strong," his first major exhibit interrogating what he was even running after. The answer came through surrender—the same theme that would define his film "God's Son," where a character dies on his own sword because he couldn't let go. When Rodney gave his lead actor simple directions about what he was going through, Leonard nailed every scene because he was in the exact same space. A guy at the exhibition cried watching it, boo-hooing through the ending, confirming Rodney was doing it right. We talk about working in histology labs and learning from people who don't do "the shit he does," starting Plenny Studios with zero technical training, shooting only on film and getting comfortable with whatever comes out, his current fixation on chase scenes inspired by the movie “Juice,” how every director has their signature shot, his search to find his own signature shot, and his dream of shooting a full Tarantino-style horror film then retiring to make cool chairs. 🎞️ Watch, listen, or read at likereallycreative.com/show [http://likereallycreative.com/show]

Episode 29: Creative Clarity Meditations #07: A You Are A Revolutionary with Jared Boyd

Voiced by journalist and DJ Jared Boyd, this pep talk kicks you into creative gear before you start a project. It’s a reminder that you were put here to express yourself, no matter what.

Episode 28: How to Move Through the Madness with Dr. Andrea Jacobo

Dr. Andrea Jacobo—creative wellness practitioner, researcher, and poet—spent years studying the science of how bodies move while her right brain staged a full-scale revolt. The first-generation Dominican American became an exercise physiologist, Zumba instructor, and yoga teacher, understanding intellectually that shaking your hips (aka shaking a$$) opens the root chakra where creativity and fear live together, but it wasn't until the pandemic that she finally stopped running from her own words. She started sharing poetry again at protests in the Bay Area, watching her bilingual verses heal herself and others simultaneously. The Memphis poetry collective We Keepin' It P gave her stages to stand on, though she still struggles to call herself an artist without formal training. Her dissertation on reclaiming space led her to a study proving what she already knew: declaring your testimony is healing, whether in political spaces or through art. We talk about growing up in a household where music and dancing were constant, how she "broke up with the gym" after toxic fitness culture made her hate a place she once loved, discovering that parties are congregations and DJ Rich Medina's work on how dancing together creates "ciphers of love," writing her last poem while walking and capturing what she saw in real time, why she stopped writing for a year to finish her dissertation and had to find herself again, motivating people to exercise by tapping into what they already love instead of forcing reps and sets, and her dream of creating an outdoor sanctuary with sheep, gardens, and space for people to just exist in community without judgment. 💙 Watch, listen, or read at likereallycreative.com/show [http://likereallycreative.com/show]

Episode 29: Creative Clarity Meditations #06: A Slow Start to The New Year with Nikkino Wesson

Written and voiced by writer Nikkino Wesson, this guided meditation invites you to slow down and accept the silence instead of rushing ahead to the new year.

Episode 28: Creative Clarity Meditation #05: Meet Your Future Self with Mara Daniele

Voiced by musician and creator Mara Daniele, this guided journaling exercise helps you to envision what your Future Self looks like while connecting you to your five senses.