Home Podcasts The Creative Process · Arts, Culture & Society: Books, Film, Music, TV, Art, Writing, Creativity, Education, Environment, Th
The Creative Process · Arts, Culture & Society: Books, Film, Music, TV, Art, Writing, Creativity, Education, Environment, Th

The Creative Process · Arts, Culture & Society: Books, Film, Music, TV, Art, Writing, Creativity, Education, Environment, Th

Mia Funk 1254 episodes Latest May 29, 2026

The Creative Process explores the minds of creative people through conversations with writers, artists, and thinkers across the arts and STEM. Guests include Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Pulitzer, and Nobel Prize winners, as well as leaders from organizations like the Smithsonian, UNESCO, and Greenpeace. Hosted by Mia Funk, the interviews delve into their life, work, and artistic practice, offering valuable insights. The podcast also features participation from students and universities worldwide.

Episodes

There is No Freedom Without a Free Press: Journalists, Writers, Activists, Political Scientists, Economists & Filmmakers Discuss Democracy & The Fight for Truth Jun 8, 2026 2352 Today we explore the collapse of the journalism business model, the rise of spin dictators and how disinformation has become the new censorship. As empires struggle and media consolidates, the pursuit of truth remains an act of hope. We hear from foreign correspondents and journalists Nicholas Kristof, Abrahm Lustgarten, Michael Maren, Richard Black and Jacob Ward. They're joined by scholars and e
Creativity, Improvisation & Learning to See with DR. KEITH SAWYER May 29, 2026 3876 “I've discovered in my studies of creativity in general that creativity is not about starting with a brilliant idea and then following a linear path to an execution of your idea. What I see in art and design is a much more iterative, wandering, exploratory process where the ideas emerge from the act of engaging in the work.”Dr. Keith Sawyer’s work focuses on creativity and human ingenuity. With ov
The Future of Architecture & Cities of Tomorrow w/ CARLO RATTI, Director of MIT's Senseable City Lab May 28, 2026 1405 "What we need to do is learn from nature. If you think about how nature progresses through trial and error. I'm really a fan of how we can do open designs that citizens can respond to, and use the feedback in order to create similar systems to what happens in nature."Our guest today is Carlo Ratti, an architect, engineer, and academic who is deeply engaged with the critical questions facing our pl
The Cognitive Cost of AI: Surveillance Capitalism, The Future of Work & Democracy May 25, 2026 1523 Look closely at the screen in front of you. It is no longer just a passive device; it is actively shaping your perception. Today, we investigate the cognitive and ethical costs of offloading our reason to algorithms and ask what happens when our tools begin to train us? We explore the rise of surveillance capitalism with those documenting the shift—technologists Jaron Lanier, Henry Ajder, and Anto
MUSKISM—Its Roots, Nature & How to Fight It w/ QUINN SLOBODIAN & BEN TARNOFF May 22, 2026 3696 “ Musk interestingly has this way of excluding the majority of the population from consideration, what he variously calls non-playing characters or NPCs, which is a category from video games, or sometimes bots, vampires. And this is a much more stark version of insider and outsider group creation than even hierarchies of race because it takes this one step further by taking very seriously the idea
LAND GRAB UNIVERSITIES: Dispossession, Indigenous Futures & the True Cost of Higher Education w/ TRISTAN AHLONE, ANDREW HERSCHER, ROBERT WARRIOR May 21, 2026 3149 “I think in terms of the Land-Grab project: looking at that history and really beginning to learn more about the history of education in the United States—and especially Indian education—a lot of that was new to me. So, our project that we did about two years ago, building on Land-Grab, was our Misplaced Trust investigation at Grist. We wanted to go back to those universities and start looking at
The Atlas of Resonance: How does architecture  shape the way we think, learn & remember? SALWA & SELMA MIKOU - Highlights May 19, 2026 1333 Salwa and Selma Mikou are the founders of Paris-based Mikou Architecture. Born in Fez, Morocco and educated in Paris, they have spent the last two decades reimagining the relationship between the built environment and the cultural landscape.After honing their craft under two of the world’s most iconic architects, Jean Nouvel and Renzo Piano, they founded their own studio. For them, architecture is
Building Bridges Between Memory, Nature & Architecture with SALWA & SELMA MIKOU May 18, 2026 4729 “Architecture should bring a true sensation of wellbeing. We were really lucky to experience that as children, and now as architects, we try to bring all that we learned into our practice.”Salwa and Selma Mikou are the founders of Paris-based Mikou Architecture. Born in Fez, Morocco and educated in Paris, they have spent the last two decades reimagining the relationship between the built environme
Art, Imagination & the Search for Connection: Max Richter, Iain McGilchrist, Ami Vitale…16 Artists & Writers on Creativity May 14, 2026 1910 Creativity is an infinite conversation. The impulse to speak and be heard is what keeps us tethered to each other and to the world. From the cinematic scores of Max Richter and Carter Burwell to the Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry of Jericho Brown, we examine the human imagination. Psychiatrist philosopher Iain McGilchrist and writers Ana Castillo, Andre Dubus III and Hala Alyan discuss the power of
Daydreaming, Spycraft & Writing The Gray Man - Author MARK GREANEY May 13, 2026 4111 Can fiction help us make sense of an increasingly chaotic world? For Mark Greaney, writing international thrillers isn't just about explosive action—it's about untangling the messy realities of disinformation, institutional erosion, and AI-driven conflict. The author of The Gray Man series joins us to discuss his path to publishing, training alongside military operatives, and why the most terrifyi
Understanding Global Conflict, AI, The Future of War & Crafting Characters - NYTimes Bestselling Author MARK GREANEY - Highlights May 8, 2026 998 Mark Greaney is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and has spent his career exploring the technical and human complexities of the modern thriller. A student of international relations and political science, he has spent the last two decades at the intersection of deep-state espionage and the high-tech future of warfare. He is the creator of the Gray Man series, a motion picture starring Ryan G
Writers On Memory & the Human Condition: Siri Hustvedt, Ada Limón, Paul Lynch, T.C. Boyle…Share their Stories May 5, 2026 1364 We look to the arts to help us make sense of the world. Today on The Creative Process, we bring together twelve writers. We hear from Booker Prize winners, Paul Lynch, discussing "cosmic fiction", and Yann Martel on the necessity of magical thinking. We’re joined by Andre Dubus III and Megan Abbott, who share their thoughts on memory and family; while Siri Hustvedt, Etgar Keret and A.L. Kennedy ex

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