In this episode of How Art Is Born, Host R. Alan Brooks is joined by Derrick Hodge, composer, musical director, bandleader, producer, bassist, and advocate. Hodge reflects on his early days as a musician in West Philadelphia, feeding his curiosity and creative drive, his journey of self acceptance, and shares some words of wisdom for all the creators out there.

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Check Out Off The Walls from Colorado Public Radio

Hey! If you love How Art is Born, there’s another podcast that I think you should check out. It's called Off The Walls and it's all about the people and stories behind Denver's street art. In each episode, you'll meet artists, activists and other Denverites ... to explore some powerful murals around town ... and why they matter. Find Off The Walls from Denverite and Colorado Public Radio wherever you get podcasts!

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In this episode of How Art Is Born Host R. Alan Brooks is joined by the delightfully unhinged queer comedy duo of Lee Robinson and Kate McLachlan aka Dyketopia. Their conversation delves into how the pair found their way into performing stand-up comedy, creating a community for the queer comedy scene, and more.

Mentioned in this episode:

Check Out Off The Walls from Colorado Public Radio

Hey! If you love How Art is Born, there’s another podcast that I think you should check out. It's called Off The Walls and it's all about the people and stories behind Denver's street art. In each episode, you'll meet artists, activists and other Denverites ... to explore some powerful murals around town ... and why they matter. Find Off The Walls from Denverite and Colorado Public Radio wherever you get podcasts!

CPR Off The Walls Ad 1

In this episode of How Art Is Born Host R. Alan Brooks is joined by Miami based multimedia artist and video game director, Leo Castañeda. Their conversation delves into Castañeda forging his own path and creative identity amongst a family of artists, teaching himself how to independently create and develop a video game, his video game direction and design process and more.

Mentioned in this episode:

Check Out Off The Walls from Colorado Public Radio

Hey! If you love How Art is Born, there’s another podcast that I think you should check out. It's called Off The Walls and it's all about the people and stories behind Denver's street art. In each episode, you'll meet artists, activists and other Denverites ... to explore some powerful murals around town ... and why they matter. Find Off The Walls from Denverite and Colorado Public Radio wherever you get podcasts!

CPR Off The Walls Ad 1

Join host R. Alan Brooks for a conversation with Los Angeles area based professor, author, graphic novelist, curator, and New York Times best-seller, John Jennings in today's episode of How Art is Born. Hear about Jennings’ discovering his love for art and comics, his early days as a graphic designer, self-publishing his own books, creating a new character for the Marvel universe, and more!

Join host R. Alan Brooks for a conversation with Denver-based singer, songwriter, and producer, N3ptune, in today's episode of How Art is Born. Hear about N3ptune's spiritual journey to becoming a multi-hyphenate and genre bending musical artist, growing up in the Baptist Church, embracing his most authentic self, and more!

Join host R. Alan Brooks for a conversation with Los Angeles and Denver-based photographer, Amanda Lopez, in today's episode of How Art is Born. Hear about Lopez's journey to discovering her love of photography, learning as much as she could about her craft in the classroom and on the job, how she's dealt with fear and imposter syndrome to build a successful career as professional photographer, and more!

In this episode of How Art is Born host R. Alan Brooks is joined by Thomas Evans, a.k.a. Detour, an all-around creative specializing in large scale public art, interactive visuals, portraiture, immersive spaces, and creative directing. Detour’s focus is on expanding customary views of creativity and challenging fine-art paradigms by mixing traditional mediums with new approaches.

Hear about Detour’s days as a breakdancer, a student life coordinator on the Auraria Campus in downtown Denver, a trip to Zimbabwe that catalyzed his decision to pursue visual and interactive art full time, and more!

In this episode of How Art is Born we welcome Colorado-based multi-disciplinary artist, activist, and "disruptor," Gregg Deal, (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe). His work is informed by his Native identity and includes exhaustive critiques of American society, politics, popular culture and history. Through paintings, murals, performance work, filmmaking, spoken word, and more, Deal invites the viewer to confront these issues both in the present and the past tense. 

Host, R. Alan Brooks and Deal, discuss his life growing up in Utah, the early days of his career as an artist and student in the Washington, D.C. area, the value of having diverse work experience, and the impact of having good mentors and support systems.