Creative Baggage

KIMBERLY LAVON • CEO + CREATIVE WRITER I founded and joined Mint Maven in 2022 as the Creative Writer + CEO of the agency. Prior to my work here, I was the Creative Director of Thimble Media. We delivered Brand Identity + Strategy to a myriad of businesses. Before that I was the Fine Artist/Print Shop Owner of Kimberly Lavon INK. During my tenure at the printshop I helped the stu

ABOUT THE GUEST Hannah Cole is a tax expert who specializes in working with creative businesses and artists. A long-time working artist with a high-level exhibition history, the financial challenges of freelancers and small creative businesses are both relevant and personal to Hannah. Her specialty is communicating complex tax issues in a clear, creative-centered, empowering way. H

ABOUT THE GUEST Taylor Rossi is a flutist, web designer, and portrait photographer for Nicole Riccardo Media. She helps classical musicians bring their visions to life and grow their online presence. Learn more: www.nicolericcardomedia.com EPISODE SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by the Flute Center of New York. The Flute Center of New York is the world's marketplace for flu

ABOUT THE GUEST Yue Deng-Wu is the co-founder of Spacenotes, a startup focused on building a new app for learning music. Spacenotes is on a mission to make music education more accessible and delightful. Yue is a classically trained pianist and teacher. She was also an attorney at DLA Piper, where she advised tech companies of all stages on employment related matters. EPISODE SPONS

We're joined by special guest Dr. Heidi Kay Begay for a discussion about pivoting to a non-traditional path, running multiple music businesses, and more! Dr. Heidi Kay Begay is a self-employed flutist, educator, podcaster, and non-profit organizer. Heidi is the creator and host of the Flute 360 podcast, which delivers educational content (to the modern-day flutist) through various

Welcome to a new era of Creative Baggage! Serena, Justin and Deivy sit down ahead of the release of their database, 'For the Lost Creative', to reflect on their own experiences and opportunities that have led them all to where they are today. We talk about the windiness of pursing a creative career, and how almost nothing has been a straight line for us. The launch of FOR THE LOST

Listen to our presentation at the Bach 2 the Future Conference in MUPA Budapest, where they pitched Creative Baggage's project "for the lost creative," a database of scholarships, grants, internships, jobs, and other opportunities to help creatives find the next steps in their career. We are beyond grateful to have received a grant from enCORE Classical & Jeunesse Musicale Inte

Everything is changing once again! Justin and Serena discuss their time in Budapest, and Bailey announces her departure from the Creative Baggage team. We reminisce on the very beginnings of CB and look ahead to an unknown but exciting future! What's next? Development of our database of opportunities FOR THE LOST CREATIVE. is in full swing! Stay tuned for the launch of our comprehe

Writer and musician Chioma Ossai shares her thoughts on self-love and self-care, which is a profound theme in her poetry. We agree that getting to know ourselves and nurturing our inner child can unlock a sense of creative freedom that we've hidden away over time. We also discuss the impact of social media (both positive & negative) on artists and the arts industry. Chioma Ossa

In this episode, we chat with flutist Stephen Clark about his journey from orchestral musician, to soloist, to DMA student at the University of Alabama. He shares his insights on the differences between conducting yourself as a student vs. professional, as well as the differences between academia / the music industries of the UK and the US. We thoroughly enjoyed his stories and mus