065: Collection of Skills and Facing Challenges in CCI

Catalyst: A Creative Industries Podcast

Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman University. Each episode features Chapman students who have completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this ‘hands-on’ experience and carry it over to the launching of their very own series. Each episode of Season 8 will feature one to two different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.

In our first segment, Paola Mejia Ruiz sits down with guest Kelly Fiance. Fiance has developed her own company where she works as a creative consultant focusing on small companies to help with everything from branding and web design to social/content creation and creative strategies. Through their conversation Fiance relays how she was able to take her degree work in art from USC, her passion for photography, her work as a graphic designer, and her skills with marketing to venture out on her own and create a company that utilizes each of those skills. As a savvy creative, Fiance was an early adopter of Social Media platforms, and has grown her TikTok followers to 27.3K and Instagram to 16.6K. She has used the platforms as places to launch tutorials and quick tips for improving skills in creative areas. The pair discuss Fiance’s hopes for the future which include possibly taking the tutorials and tips to the next level with the development of some creative courses.

The second section this week features an interview with Lucy Pudner, a professional company dancer at Milwaukee Ballet, who sits down to talk with Lauren Leung. Pudner who began dancing at the age of eight, traces her career in the field to the company she now works with. The discussion reveals some of the challenges individuals, including Pudner, can and do face in the creative world of performance and dance in particular, and how Pudner worked through that. They conclude the interview with reflection, and Pudner’s advice to those who may be considering pursuing a professional career within the world of performative dance.