On April 2, 2019, I launched my first podcast interview. My guest was Hiba Jameel, a Seattle-based painter. Hiba is an Iraqi-American refugee who fled war-torn Iraq as a child to start a new life in America with her family. She eventually made her way to the Pacific Northwest where she nurtured and cultivated her love of drawing and painting as a child, eventually turning it into a career. I will forever be indebted to Hiba for agreeing to be my first guest, taking a chance on podcaster with no podcasts. Her episode continues to be the most downloaded episode in the lineup, for good reason.
My second interview was with Rayka Zehtabchi, director of the documentary Period. End of Sentence, which is now streaming on Netflix. I sat down with her right after she won an Academy Award for best documentary short and at the risk of sounding bombastic, her story blew my mind. Twenty-three years old with an Oscar under her belt. How did she learn the craft and art of filmmaking? Why did she choose this subject for her documentary? With poise and eloquence, and without pretense, she answered these questions and more, giving me and my audience the gift of vulnerability and openness and generosity as she shared her story.
Here I am, 42 episodes and one year later, still loving the process, ready for another year (or more), talking to creatives about their artistic journey. To commemorate this milestone, I recorded a short video talking about my journey and expressing gratitude to my listeners as well as to Jason Moore, my editor and producer.
Cheers!