On his new ten-episode series, Joseph Gordon-Levitt will get into the nitty-gritty of how a wide variety of creative people do what they do. Listeners’ questions will inspire conversations between Gordon-Levitt and a range of creative guests, from Hollywood notables like Rian Johnson and Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, to behind-the-scenes heavyweights like casting director Mary Vernieu, and from political visual artist Shepard Fairey to indie sonic songstress, Yuka Honda, and more.

“I love being entrepreneurial because it’s really just about getting to play MacGyver, but for business.” -Tony Hsieh
Welcome to a very special episode of CREATIVE PROCESSING! This episode was recorded live in collaboration with Talkhouse Podcast at the Life Is Beautiful Music and Arts Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. For this episode, Joe sat down with the CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh, where they took a deep dive into discussing the parallels of artistic and entrepreneurial creativity, and how technology will shape the future of collaboration.  
As we start to develop the future of CREATIVE PROCESSING, we would love to hear your thoughts on Season 1! What were your favorite moments? What should we change? What should we keep? Let us know! Send us your thoughts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the #creativeprocessing, or via email at creativeprocessing@hitrecord.org. Subscribe for updates on future episodes of CREATIVE PROCESSING. Thank you for listening!
 
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Creative Processing with Joseph Gordon-Levitt

MacGyver, Media, & Merchandise /  Tony Hsieh, CEO & Internet Entrepreneur

“You have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. You have to allow yourself to fail. Once you get over the fear of failure, then you will start to find where your happiness lies, and if ‘good enough’ is sufficient or not.” - Jessica Alba
This is the last episode of the season! I've really enjoyed the podcast medium, and I appreciate the audience that this show has gathered, so thank you for listening. The guest this week is Jessica Alba. She’s an incredibly successful actress and entrepreneur. She co-founded The Honest Company, which has not only been extremely successful and lucrative, but also something that’s positive. She’s acted in a number of movies including Honey, Into the Blue, Good Luck Chuck, Fantastic Four, and Sin City (where we first got to know each other). She’s incredibly talented, smart, and just such a cool person. She continues to push herself beyond her limits, which I think is what makes her the perfect guest to answer this week’s question from Rochelle Connery from Anchorage, Alaska. 
Rochelle asked, “Any hints on how to push myself to achieve more than just ‘good enough?’” Jessica is clearly someone who continues to push boundaries. We had a great conversation about finding equilibrium and balance amongst pressure and stress, getting over the fear of failure, how to battle insecurity, using boundaries to expand your creativity, and how Jessica has used stereotypes and low expectations to drive herself and empower others.  
Even though this is the last episode, you can ask a question or continue the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the #creativeprocessing. And, if you’re feeling inspired, check out HITRECORD.org/creativeprocessing, where we’re making art about some of the topics we discussed in these episodes. Subscribe for updates on future episodes of CREATIVE PROCESSING. Thanks for listening!
ABOUT THE GUEST:	
Jessica Alba, Founder of The Honest Company, is a globally recognized business leader, entrepreneur, advocate, actress and New York Times bestselling author. The Honest Company® is a mission-driven company dedicated to empowering people to live happy, healthy lives by providing thoughtfully formulated, safe and effective baby, personal care and beauty products. In 2013 Jessica authored the New York Times bestselling book, The Honest Life, a practical guide for parents to create a safe and healthy life for their families. Jessica has appeared on the cover of Forbes’ “Self-Made Women” issue and was among the top twenty of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, one of CNBC’s Next List of Rebels, Leaders and Innovators, and one of Fortune’s 10 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs.  
SELECTED LINKS:
Connect with Jessica:
-Instagram: @jessicaalba
-Twitter: @jessicalba
-Facebook: @JessicaAlba
Movies Mentioned:
-Honey (2003)
-Into the Blue (2005)
-Good Luck Chuck (2007)
-Fantastic Four (2005)
-Sin City (2005)
-Jaws (1975)
-Gumby (1995)
TV Shows Mentioned:
-3rd Rock from the Sun (NBC, 1996-2001)
-Fleabag (BBC, 2016-2019)
-Saturday Night Live (NBC, 1975- )
People Mentioned:
-Rian Johnson (Filmmaker)
-Cash Warren (Producer)
-Tom Hanks (Actor) 
-John Lithgow (Actor)
-Kristen Johnston (Actress)
-French Stewart (Actor)
-Jane Curtin (Actress)
-James Cameron (Filmmaker) 
-Steven Spielberg (Filmmaker) 
-Lorne Michaels (Producer) 
-Jennifer Lopez (Actress/Singer)
Philosophies/Theories Mentioned:
-80/20 Rule
-Wabi Sabi 
-Myers-Briggs Test (TAKE IT HERE)
-Nature v. Nurture (Also mentioned in Ep. 5 Madisen Ward &amp; The Mama Bear and Ep. 6 Liv Boeree)
 
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Pushing Boundaries & Yourself / Jessica Alba, Actress and Entrepreneur 

“From an actor's perspective...you have to be prepared for it to be really hard because there's so many factors that are influencing why you get a role and why you don't get a role. When you go into an audition, leave it in the room— otherwise it's too hard on your heart. And getting into those rooms is also tough, but you should try every avenue you can find and think of.” -Mary Vernieu 
This week’s guest is the incredibly smart and accomplished casting director Mary Venieu. Some of her recent casting credits include Euphoria, A Star Is Born, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Hobbs &amp; Shaw. She repeatedly works with some of my favorite directors including Darren Aronofsky, Robert Rodriguez, and our friend Rian Johnson. She casted me in Rian’s movie Looper, and also casted the movie I wrote and directed: Don Jon. Mary is incredibly talented at what she does, which made her perfect to answer  this week’s question from Monica Patricio from Lima, Peru.  
Monica asked, ““How much do contacts matter when starting a project or career?” There’s a common perception that casting directors serve as gatekeepers to the industry, and I think this is partially true. Mary and I did our best to have an honest conversation about the reality of casting, and I think this episode offers some practical takeaways for those of you out there who are thinking about having a career in a creative field. We talked about how casting directors go about finding actors for their movies, the importance of having a good agent, and how the industry is shifting in terms of diversity and inclusion.
If you have a question about the creative process that you think would spawn a good conversation on this show, ask me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter tagged #creativeprocessing, or by emailing creativeprocessing@hitrecord.org. New episodes are coming out every Tuesday through October 22, 2019. 
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ABOUT THE GUESTS: 
Casting Director Mary Vernieu has cast over 300 features during her career. With an eye for talent in both actors and filmmakers, she has developed and enjoyed long-standing working relationships with many acclaimed directors such as Darren Aronofsky, David Ayer, David O. Russell, Robert Rodriguez, Rian Johnson, and Oliver Stone.  In 2013 Mary won an Artios Award for the casting of Silver Linings Playbook, and was nominated for two more Artios Awards last year for A Star Is Born and Deadpool II.  In addition to her casting work, Mary has also recently ventured into producing for such films as Trust Me, Come Simi, and Spare Room. Mary’s company, Betty Mae, is named in a loving homage to her mother and grandmother.
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SELECTED LINKS FOR EPISODE: 
Connect with Mary:Facebook: @BettymaecastingInstagram: @BettymaecastingMovies Mentioned:Fast &amp; Furious Presents: Hobbs &amp; Shaw (2019)John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)A Star Is Born (2018)Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)Knives Out (2019)Looper (2012)JFK (1991)Don Jon (2013)No Time to Die (2020)TV Shows Mentioned:Euphoria (HBO, 2019)Fleabag (BBC, 2016-2019)Atlanta (FX, 2016- )Killing Eve (BBC, 2018- )People Mentioned:Darren Aronofsky (Filmmaker)Robert Rodriguez (Filmmaker)Rian Johnson (Filmmaker)Justin Bieber (Singer)Andrew Bachelor a.k.a King Bach (Actor)Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Actress / Writer / Producer)Casting Terminology / Services Mentioned:Breakdown ServicesFILM SIDES: Pages of a script used in an auditionSHOWCASE: Show where actors perform monologues, scenes, or songs in front of industry professionals
 
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Career & Contacts / Mary Vernieu, Casting Director 

“Making things ‘easy’ always has a downside...To pretend that you can make something easy without losing some of your focus and discipline is always a fallacy. There's always going to be a tradeoff.” -Jaron Lanier 
This week’s guest is Jaron Lanier, who I’ve been fortunate to become friends with over the last number of years. He’s a technologist, computer scientist, musician, writer, and artist who is perhaps most well known for being one of the pioneers of virtual reality. My first exposure to Jaron was through his books, which I highly recommend you check out. I’ve listed where you can find them in the bottom of the description. Jaron is incredibly funny and just an extraordinary conversationalist, who I honestly could have talked with for days. His combination of an incredibly creative mind with a technological, computer-scientist mind made him perfect to answer this week’s question from Chrissy Regler from Dorset, England. 
Chrissy asked, “How do you feel the digital era has changed our creative process?” Jaron and I talked about the influence digital tools have had on creativity, how technology has impacted moviemaking, the effect that algorithms have had on anxiety and artistic engagement, and wrapped it all up with whether its best to believe things or doubt things.
If you have a question about the creative process, that you think would spawn a good conversation on this show, ask me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter tagged #creativeprocessing, or by emailing creativeprocessing@hitrecord.org. New episodes are coming out every Tuesday through October 22, 2019.
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ABOUT THE GUESTS: 
A Renaissance Man for the 21st century, Jaron Lanier is a computer scientist, composer, artist, and author who writes on numerous topics, including high-technology business, the social impact of technology, the philosophy of consciousness and information, Internet politics, and the future of humanism. Jaron Lanier has been on the cusp of technological innovation from its infancy to the present. A pioneer in virtual reality (a term he coined), Lanier founded VPL Research, the first company to sell VR products, and led teams originating VR applications for medicine, design, and numerous other fields. He is currently the “octopus” (which stands for Office of the Chief Technology Officer Prime Unifying Scientist) at Microsoft.  In 2018, Lanier was named one of the 25 most influential people in the previous 25 years of tech history by Wired Magazine. He’s also been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine, top one hundred public intellectuals in the world by Foreign Policy magazine, top 50 World Thinkers by Prospect magazine, and one of history’s 300 or so greatest inventors in the Encyclopedia Britannica. In 2009 Jaron Lanier received a Lifetime Career Award from the IEEE, the preeminent international engineering society.
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SELECTED LINKS FOR EPISODE: 
Books by Jaron Lanier:You Are Not A GadgetWho Owns The FutureDawn of the New Everything: Encounters with Reality and Virtual RealityTen Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right NowOther Books Mentions: Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria RilkePeople Mentioned:Stanley Kubrik (Director)Howard Hawks (Director)Gene Kelly (Director)B.F. Skinner (Psychologist)Steve Jobs (Co-Founder of Apple)Daniel Kottke (One of Apple’s First Employees)Andy Herzfeld (Computer Scientist)Abraham Maslow (Psychologist)Pierce Brosnan (Actor)M. (Computer Scientist) Movies Mentions: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)A Clockwork Orange (1971) The Lawnmower Man (1992)Other Mentions: Oud (Musical Instrument)Lute (Musical Instrument)Fight or Flight Response MIDI (Digital Interface) Tibetan Throat SingingGarageBand (Software) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs  Bolsheviks (Political Party)Stalinists (Political Party)Google TranslateBing TranslateiPodBurning Man
 
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Tech & Humanity / Jaron Lanier, Computer Scientist, Writer, & Musician

“When you're an artist, it's not a button you can push on or off. You're always an actor. I sleep as an actor. I wake up as an actor.... I always think about art and creativity, and that's all I want to do.” -Omid Memar 
This week’s guest is Omid Memar. He’s a fantastic actor who I recently was able to work with for an upcoming movie called 7500 (we actually recorded this episode at the movie’s premiere in Switzerland). Omid’s acting is incredibly honest and real and heartbreaking and human. He also comes from a very culturally-rich background— he’s from an Iranian family, grew up in Austria, moved to Munich, and graduated from a French school. He’s a young guy that’s really just getting started in his career, so I thought he would be perfect to answer this week’s question from Megan Colbert in Springfield, New York.  
Megan asked, “How do you balance the inner need to create with the practical need to bring in a paycheck?” Omid and I talk about what it’s like to be up-and-coming in the industry, and how the artistry and creativity in acting is often overshadowed by the idea of ‘celebrity’. We also talk about the influence of cultural identity when selecting roles, the creative impact that music has had on each of us, and we top it all off with a touching conversation about our grandmothers.  
If you have a question about the creative process, that you think would spawn a good conversation on this show, ask me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter tagged #creativeprocessing, or by emailing creativeprocessing@hitrecord.org. New episodes are coming out every Tuesday through October 22, 2019. 
 
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ABOUT THE GUESTS: Omid Memar is a twenty-year old Iranian actor, who grew up in Vienna before moving to Munich with his family in 2008 where Omid graduated in a French school with a dual-degree in German and French. Omid landed his first acting role at 14 in the German film The Famous Five 4, based on the book series by Enid Blyton. Omid also starred in the Austrian TV Mini-Series M - A City Hunts a Murderer, and the short film Invention of Trust where he was honored with Gold in the Student Academy Awards in 2016. Omid stars alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the movie 7500, which will be released on Amazon early next year.  
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SELECTED LINKS FOR EPISODE: 
Connect with Omid:- Instagram: @midopersian 

People Mentioned:
- Passar Hariky (Actor)
- Patrick Vollrath (Director)
- Sebastian Fitz (Omid’s Acting Teacher)
Movies Mentions: 
- The Famous Five 4 (2015)
- Angels In The Outfield (1994) 

Other Mentions: 
- Locarno Film Festival
- Iran-Iraq War (Sep. 22, 1980- Aug. 20, 1988)
- Box Studio in Locarno, Switzerland 
 
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Love & The Paycheck / Omid Memar, Up-and-Coming Actor

“A lot of people often think of rationality as actually about removing your emotions entirely, but I disagree with that because emotions are what ultimately make us human...To be truly rational, we have to learn to work with our emotions— not completely eradicate them.’” -Liv Boeree 
My guest this week is Liv Boeree— a magnificent thinker, writer, and speaker. Liv is one of the most successful professional poker players of all time (she is the only woman in history to win both the World Series of Poker and European Poker Tour Championships). On top of all that, she also just happens to have a degree in astrophysics. She’s an all around fantastic person to have a conversation with, and was particularly great at answering this week’s question from Kent Wilson from Nashville, Tennessee. 
Kent asked, “When does data-backed decision making begin to have a negative impact on the creative process?” Liv and I get into a great discussion on what constitutes analytical thinking, what the difference is between science and art, and how to listen to your intuition and balance that with data, and logic with reason. So much of creativity nowadays is further and further integrated with data and analytics, and Liv has some great insight on when data is valuable and when you should just go with your gut.  
If you have a question about the creative process, that you think would spawn a good conversation on this show, ask me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter tagged #creativeprocessing, or by emailing creativeprocessing@hitrecord.org. New episodes are coming out every Tuesday through October 22, 2019.  
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ABOUT THE GUESTS: 
Liv Boeree is one of the UK’s most successful poker players winning both a European Poker Tour and World Series of Poker championship title during her professional career. Before poker she studied Astrophysics, she now focuses her time as a TV host and YouTuber specialising in science, futurism and rationality. She also gives seminars on decision strategy and recently spoke at the annual TED conference about the application of poker thinking to everyday life. 
In 2014 she co-founded Raising for Effective Giving (REG), a non-profit that promotes a scientific, evidence-based approach to philanthropy known as effective altruism. To date, REG has raised over $11,000,000 for a handful of the most globally impactful and cost-effective charities.
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SELECTED LINKS FOR EPISODE: 
Connect with Liv:
- Twitter: @Liv_Boeree
- Instagram: @Liv_Boeree
- YouTube Channel 
- LivBoeree.com
- Raise for Effective Giving
Theories Mentioned:
- Game Theory
- Scientific Method
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
- Nash Equilibrium
Movies Mentioned:
- A Beautiful Mind (2001) 
People Mentioned:
- Donald Hoffman (Psychologist / Author) 
- Shepard Fairey (Artist / Propagandist) 
- John Nash (Mathematician) 

Other Mentions: 
- Effective Altruism 
- Brexit
- Burning Man
- World Series of Poker
- European Poker Tour Champions
 
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Creative Processing with Joseph Gordon-Levitt

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