The Creative Pulse podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep 133: Kelly Lyles - Art Car Creator, Curator and Painter Oct 22, 2025

Show notes

Kelly Lyles infuses creativity into every part of her life. She’s designed five art cars, organizes an annual art car festival and is a fine art painter specializing in portraits. Kelly is also an artistic community builder, attending openings and events most days of the week and supporting her wide network of creative friends in every way possible.
Her art cars are vividly decorated and have creative names such as Leopard Bernstein and Excessories Odd-yssey. The Seattle Art Car Blowout she organizes is a gathering for art car makers and lovers, welcoming an amazing array of art cars that are creatively designed according to the unique visions of their owners.
Kelly is also a fine art painter who specializes in portraits and visual puns involving animals. Rumour has it she knows everybody in the Seattle art scene and she has curated her home like an art museum, decorated from the floor to the ceiling with the artworks of hundreds of other artists she loves. Her creative passion also extends to her fashion and accessory choices.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Kelly about her love of art cars, her punny series of animal portraits, the strong creative community she’s developed, and how she welcomes creativity into every aspect of her life.
Say hi to Kelly:
Website - kellyspot.com and Seattle Art Car Blowout
Instagram - @lkellylyles
Facebook - /L.kellylyles
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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 132: Rachael Harms Mahlandt - Sidewalk Joy Artist and Global Map Curator Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

Rachael Harms Mahlandt is passionate about creating Sidewalk Joy - adding bright spots of whimsy to her city through creative art installations. Sidewalk Joy spots are free, curated public galleries, exchanges and displays, often installed in front yards, along a sidewalk fence, or on the side of a building. Her first project was creating a dinosaur-themed diorama (a ‘Dinorama’), which then led to a dino exchange, a micro book swap, an Air Bee N Bee, micro parks, a mug exchange, and more.
Building on the success of the Portland Sidewalk Joy map she co-created, Rachael recently launched a Worldwide Sidewalk Joy map, highlighting hundreds of projects (and growing!). She loves the community connections that happen through Sidewalk Joy spots and openly shares her own knowledge to help other people get started.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Rachael about what sparked her love of sidewalk art installations, how she comes up with new ideas, how these projects bring people together and build community, and what you can find on the Worldwide Sidewalk Joy map.
Say hi to Rachael:
Websites:
- Sidewalk Joy - sidewalkjoy.com
- PDX Sidewalk Joy - pdxsidewalkjoy.com
- Worldwide Sidewalk Joy - worldwidesidewalkjoy.com
Instagram - @pdxdinorama
TikTok - @pdxdinorama
Facebook - /pdxdinorama
YouTube - @PDXDinorama/shorts
Bluesky - /pdxdinorama.bsky.social
Show mentions:
Awesome Foundation Portland - awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/portland
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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: @creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 131: John Avilla - Creative Community Builder and Musician Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

John Avilla joined his family’s band at only 8 years of age and the experience ignited a lifelong passion for music. Building on his expertise in branding and marketing for global companies, he is now a co-founder of Sound Union, a first-of-its-kind social club and creative studio in Redwood City, California.
The space welcomes people who make music a central part of their lives—not necessarily as a career, but as a passion. It’s a cultural hub where music fuels well-being, creativity and connection.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with John about what being a musician has brought to his life, how he fosters collaboration and connection at Sound Union, and how music can be an energizing force in daily life.
Say hi to John:
Website - soundunion.com
Instagram - @joinsoundunion
Facebook - /JoinSoundUnion
LinkedIn - /johngavilla
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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 130: David Gilliver - Light Painter and Miniature Artist Sep 10, 2025

Show notes

David Gilliver is multi-talented, sharing his creativity as a light painter and miniature artist. His works are both entertaining and thought-provoking in both their composition and subject matter.
To create light paintings, he uses long-exposure photography techniques under the darkness of night. And his ‘Little People’ and ‘Toys’ macro photography series depict captivating scenes using miniature people and items to tell stories and offer social commentaries.
He has been recognized with awards at the British Photography Awards and earned a degree in Fine Art Photography from the Glasgow School of Art. He also shares his knowledge through workshops and e-books so other people can join in the fun too.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with David about his techniques for creating amazing designs in his light paintings, why he loves small scale storytelling, whether his creative process begins with a visual concept or a message he wants to share, and how he balances being so active in two different creative specialties.
Say hi to David:
Website - davidgilliver.com
Instagram - @dgilliver
Facebook - /davidgilliverphoto
LinkedIn - /david-gilliver-photography
500 px - /light-painter
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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Wanted: your creativity tips! and summer break Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

Hello friends! I’m your host Angela de Burger, and incredibly, once again summer is here, which means that instead of welcoming a guest on this episode, it’s time for me to pose a classic Creative Pulse question to you:
What are your tips for starting up, or keeping up, the creative energy in your life?

To share a tip, you can:
- record a short voicemail from your phone or computer at speakpipe.com/CreativePulse
- or you can send me a message or tag me in a post on Instagram @creativepulsepodcast

I’ll share your tips on future episodes of the podcast and on social media so that your ideas can help other people who are looking for some creative inspiration!

This is also the time of year when there will be a short break in new episodes. I’m already pumped up about the interviews I have lined up and can’t wait to share them with you when new episodes start up again in September.

These next few weeks are a great time to catch up on any of the 129 episodes that have come out so far. Or perhaps there’s an episode that calls out to you for a re-listen - whatever works best for you, go for it!

I also want to send out a heartfelt thank you to every single one of you - in over 3200 cities in 129 countries around the world - who tune into the Creative Pulse podcast! This show is my creative passion and it’s an absolute joy to connect with you over a topic that is so close to my heart.

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 129: Tri Le - Pen and Ink Artist Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

Tri Le is a pen and ink artist who weaves imagination into his art, creating light within an illogical world. His work often leans toward surrealism, intertwining both traditional and contemporary elements. Tri’s pieces often explore the perpetual conflict between opposing forces: love and hatred, pleasure and displeasure, past and present. He seeks to capture the tension and harmony between these dualities, examining how they influence and shape one another.
Building on a decade of experience teaching art courses and workshops, Tri is sharing his extensive knowledge in a new book, The Artist's Guide to Pen and Ink: Take Your Drawings to the Next Level with Gorgeous Shading Techniques, published by Page Street Publishing. It’s full of step-by-step directions and reference illustrations to guide aspiring and seasoned artists through the process of developing new skills.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Tri about his creative journey to becoming a skilled pen and ink artist, how he shifted from traditional artistic styles to surrealism, and how he shares his techniques through workshops and his new book.
Say hi to Tri:
Website - trileart.com
Instagram - @tri.shiba
YouTube - @trileartist
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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 128: Kasia Muzyka - Intuitive Artist, Painting with Coffee, Wine and Natural Pigments Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

Kasia Muzyka is an intuitive artist and seeker of the sacred threads that weave life’s visible and invisible dimensions. She paints with coffee, wine and natural pigments to make the unseen visible and says her works are portals - expressions of remembrance, healing and communion with the heart.
She has exhibited her work nationally and internationally and her most recent exhibition, in New York, is titled The Sacred Condition of Being. She is also the founder of Call2Love, a wearable art brand.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Kasia about what intuitive painting means to her, how she translates the unseen in her artworks, why she uses unorthodox art supplies, and the experience of preparing for her latest exhibition.
Say hi to Kasia:
Instagram - @kasiamuzyka
Website: kasiamuzyka.com
Facebook - /kasiamuzykaArt
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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 127: Alexandria Masse - Textile Artist and Sculptor May 28, 2025

Show notes

Alexandria Masse works with textiles and fibres to construct wearable art and soft sculptures. She is fascinated by how a material can be manipulated and uses sewing, knitting and crochet to make both functional and fine art creations.

Alexandria’s works have been shown in two solo exhibitions as well as many group exhibitions all over Canada as well as in the United States, Portugal and Iceland, and she was selected as an artist-in-residence at Art Windsor-Essex.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Alexandria about how she develops her wearable art and soft sculpture designs, her experiences showing her work in gallery exhibitions, and why she loves being part of a global creative community.
Say hi to Alexandria:
Instagram - @alexandria.masse
TikTok- @alexandriamasse
YouTube - @alexandria_masse
Facebook - /alexandria.masse
X - @massealexandria
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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 126: Alvaro MAESTRO - Pixelation Artist and Architect May 14, 2025

Show notes

MAESTRO is a Spanish artist who divides his time between the eastern coast of Spain and the western coast of the United States. He studied, trained and developed a professional practice as an architect and designer before beginning his artistic career.
After immigrating to the United States, MAESTRO picked up a phone with a minimal data plan. The images on his screen often failed to load and he found himself intrigued by his own frustration. Over the following months, while working to rebuild his career as an architect in California, MAESTRO began to draw pixels, inspired by the not-quite-finished state of images he had been seeing on his phone.
Within months, he was accepted into the Santa Barbara Art Association and over the next three years he began to cultivate a loyal social media following and establish himself as a presence at respected art galleries. His first solo exhibition, “LOADING” recently opened at the HOMME Gallery in Washington D.C.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with MAESTRO about his creative journey, the contrast offered by his fine art drawings of half-rendered images, how he blends his skills as an architect and artist, and his first solo exhibition, “LOADING”.
Say hi to MAESTRO:
Instagram - @yosoymaestro
Website - yosoymaestro.com
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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 125: Louisa Deasey - Memoirist, Author of A Letter From Paris Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

Louisa Deasey has been a professional writer for more than 20 years and her specialty is crafting memoirs. She says that true stories, well-told, have the power to change the world. In her captivating memoir, A Letter From Paris, Louisa shares how she received a message out of the blue from a stranger in France, telling her about a stack of letters written decades before about a man she hardly knew: her father.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Louisa about how writing helps her make sense of the world, why memoir writing is so close to her heart, and the compelling story she shared in A Letter from Paris.
Say hi to Louisa:
Website - louisadeasey.com
Instagram - @louisadeasey
Facebook - /LouisaDeaseyauthor
YouTube - @LouisaDeaseytv
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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

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