Americo Alvarenga is a writer who has worn many hats in film, television, video games and comics. His latest project, a graphic novel called DirtBags that he co-created with illustrator Madison Lee (hear from her on episode #151), was recently released.

Americo is the person behind the story and the words for this engaging graphic novel that’s set in Lithgow, Australia. It features June and King, who have unique abilities and are up for the challenge of taking on the paranormal and urban legends that are attracted to small towns.

He’s originally from San Francisco, California but over a decade ago he followed his heart and moved to Canberra, Australia. Americo has continued honing his craft as a writer and sees comics as creative vehicles for exploring the ideas of what we can be if we only try.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Americo about what drew him to storytelling, how he gets a story idea out of his head and onto the page, and the value of collaborating with fellow creatives.

Say hi to Americo:
Instagram - @americo76 and @dirtbagscomic
Facebook - /Americo76
Threads - @americo76
Bluesky - @captainamerico

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: @creativepulsepodcast

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Madison Lee is a professional illustrator, mangaka, graphic novelist and fine artist who is all about creating intricate, hand-inked pieces with a fantasy flair. She specializes in traditional, pen and ink illustrations with a mixed media twist.

She’s the founder of MadDog Ink and her most recent project is a 100% hand drawn, painted and lettered graphic novel called DirtBags that she co-created in collaboration with writer Americo Alvarenga (stay tuned to hear from him on an upcoming episode!). This comic was recently launched and they have been busy doing signings at shops, exhibiting at comic conventions, and meeting the people who are already loving the characters and the story.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Madison about why she wanted to handcraft every aspect of her new graphic novel and the value of collaborations for creative projects.

Say hi to Madison:
Website - maddogink.com.au
Instagram - @inkedbymadisonlee and @dirtbagscomic
TikTok - @inkedbymadisonlee
Patreon - /Maddogink

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: @creativepulsepodcast

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

For episode #150, host Angela de Burger welcomes her brother Kevin Howe to the podcast. He’s a percussionist, composer and producer who specializes in reggae and West African percussion, and his musical journey has led him to learning and performing all over the world.

Kevin fell in love with playing the djembe over 20 years ago and since then he has studied with djembe masters and played with several bands. He is a founding member of Reggaddiction, an 11-piece reggae band that fuses the timeless rhythms of Jamaican reggae with Canadian influences.

Kevin is also a composer and music producer. He has recorded his songs in some of the most iconic studios in the reggae world, including Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston, Jamaica, which was founded by the legendary Bob Marley.

Playing live is still a thrill for him, and with 50+ shows per year, he gets to make music with friends and create incredible experiences for, and with, audiences near and far.

On this episode, Angela chats with Kevin about how he discovered his love for playing the djembe, his experience learning from djembe masters and community members in the Ivory Coast, his collaborations with fellow musicians, and his creative process when writing and recording songs.

Say hi to Kevin:
Instagram - @heydjembe

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: @creativepulsepodcast

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Kestral Gaian is a novelist, playwright and poet. They tell stories that bend time, break rules, and reach under the surface of things. Two of their six books have been released in the past year, with another young adult novel scheduled to hit shelves soon.

Their work explores systems, survival, and the strange beauty of being human. The characters are often outsiders, observers, or soft disruptors. The sort who change the world not through force but through persistence, wit and quiet resistance. Recent publications include:
- Tubelines: The Poetry of Motion was written in the tunnels, carriages and platforms of the London Underground.
- The Boy from Elsewhere is the first book in their young adult ‘Reality Quake’ science fiction series. It includes LGBTQ characters who are strong and unique, is written from multiple perspectives, and takes place in parallel worlds across multiple timelines.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Kestral about balancing creative experimentation with building creative habits, their focus on writing stories that help the reader feel seen, and the role of purpose in creativity and art.

Say hi to Kestral:
Website - kestr.al
Instagram - @kes.tr.al
Mastadon - @kestral

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: @creativepulsepodcast

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Summer is officially here once again! As is tradition at this time of year, host Angela de Burger has something to ask you - yes you! - it’s a classic Creative Pulse podcast question: What is your tip for starting up, or keeping up, the creative energy in your life?

To share a tip, you can

• send a message or tag @creativepulsepodcast on Instagram
• or, record a short voicemail from your phone or computer at speakpipe.com/CreativePulse

The tips will be shared on future episodes of the podcast and on social media so the 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. The next few weeks are a great time to catch up on any of the 148 episodes that have come out so far. Or perhaps there’s an episode that calls out to you for a re-listen!

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Sarah Head is a professional silhouette artist, cutting one-of-a-kind silhouette portraits freehand using nothing more than scissors and paper. She’s self-trained and has been creating these incredibly detailed profile portraits for over 25 years.

Sarah is often handcutting portraits at live events, getting all of the details just right and then handing the special keepsake to the person. She shares videos of her creating these artworks and the reactions her silhouette portraits receive are incredibly fun to see.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Sarah about how she discovered the art of silhouette, the way she developed her specialized skill set, and the experiences she’s had as a live art entertainer at special events all over the world.

Say hi to Sarah:
Website - silhouetteartist.co.uk
Instagram - @silhouettesarah
Facebook - /SilhouetteSarah
LinkedIn - /sarah-head

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: @creativepulsepodcast

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Lesley Luce is a collage artist whose large-scale circular works are created from thousands of hand-placed paper fragments arranged in precise concentric circle compositions. She wants people to be captivated by her art from afar and intrigued up close, rewarding those who are curious.

Lesley says she’s a late-blooming artist and her artistic practice reflects a perspective shaped by time, lived experience, a career, and a deep belief that curiosity does not expire with age.

Her artworks even come with a manual - a handmade mini book that’s part archive, part decoder ring. It shows the fragments she used, cites where they came from, and why they are included in the work.

Through her social media channels, Lesley shares fun, fascinating info and behind-the-scenes peeks into her life as an artist.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Lesley about how she rediscovered her creative passion through tiny pieces of paper, the role curiosity plays in her creative practice, and how she draws from history to tell stories through her artworks.

Say hi to Lesley:
Website - lesleyluceart.com
Instagram - @lesleyluceart
TikTok - @lesleyluceart

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: @creativepulsepodcast

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Katie Gates is a fibre artist who made a creative playground for herself by establishing Oddkin Studio where she creates delightfully odd, handmade scrap monsters from repurposed textiles.

Inspired by the constraints of scavenged materials, resourcefulness and a love for the slightly strange, Katie creates each piece thoughtfully by hand, intuitively allowing the materials to guide the direction of each one-of-a-kind creation.

Oddkin Studio began with a leap of faith and a basket of fabric scraps. Katie stepped away from a decade-long teaching career with no clear plan in mind for where her journey was headed next. She spent her days resting, wandering and following small sparks of curiosity wherever they led. And somewhere along the way, those sparks turned into scrap monsters.

On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Katie about how going viral recently on social media led to her finding her creative community, how using recycled materials creates constraints that fire up her imagination, and how she’s purposely developing a process for her handmade art business that fuels her work and life.

Say hi to Katie:
Website - https://oddkinstudiocreations.com
Instagram - @oddkin_studio

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Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: @creativepulsepodcast

Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com