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Posted on : By : kalleryan Posted in : Creation Station|Inspiration

Take this survey about creativity!

I recently joined a Creative Network here in Ireland and we have been exploring what makes us tick as creatives, as well as our relationship between creativity and work. As part of that, we are curious to learn more about fellow creatives around the world, so we built this little survey to understand your creative journey, especially as it pertains to your working life, creative process, as well as creative applications & inspirations. If you have 5 minutes, we would be super grateful if you filled in the survey (we will NOT share your information with any 3rd party, that is NOT cool) and if you could pass on the link to other creatives in your network. Happy to share the final results here once the results are tallied and made into pretty graphs and charts. Thanks in advance! 

Posted on : By : kalleryan Posted in : Inspiration|Lovebomb|Spark in the Dark

I wish I could relate the intangibles to you…

I watched the Tony Hawk documentary by Sam Jones yesterday and it was truly terrific. While I have never been a skateboarder, it still spoke to me as a piece of storytelling and an insight into a life well lived. Give it a watch if you have the chance. 

I have been thinking a lot about the the final interview at the end with legendary skater Rodney Mullen. There is such profound beauty and depth in what he says. He is talking about the risks and rewards of what he does, but the lyrical flow of it makes it feel poetic and totally universal. He could just as easily be talking about artists. He is talking about every one of us.

Posted on : By : kalleryan Posted in : Inspiration

It’s A Sin – Compelling viewing

Finished this beautiful television series last night. A brilliantly acted and wonderfully written series about the human stories at the heart of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s in London. Utterly heartbreaking at times but ultimately a gorgeous story of love, queer identity and friendship. A compelling piece of storytelling that is very worthy of your time. La! Available on All 4 and HBO Max.

Posted on : By : kalleryan Posted in : Inspiration|Lovebomb

The Frames – A gig for the ages

The Frames are arguably my favourite live band of all time. Their performances are uplifting and magical in a truly unique way. Glen Hansard has a gift for dissolving the division between performer and audience, which he believes comes from his time as a busker on Grafton Street. The show in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham was a long time coming. Originally billed as a 30th anniversary show back in 2020, the pandemic put paid to that moment, and now, two years later, the gig was finally staged in the glorious sunshine. It was well worth the wait, as I was transported back to the many shows from yesteryear, as they went through their back catalogue of anthemic rock tunes and lilting ballads. Having seen the band over 30 times(!) this was one to truly savour. A band of artists at their creative peak, sharing in a moment with those that adore them most. A special gig and a special night.

Posted on : By : kalleryan Posted in : Inspiration

The Leftovers

The Leftovers is a truly extraordinary piece of storytelling. Somehow I missed the show properly when it came out some years ago, but I am so glad I connected with it now. A deep, thoughtful, insightful, profound meditation on faith, grief, loss, identity and the human condition. I have never seen a show like it – a philosophical and mystical, meandering story that spans continents, time and space, with a story about human relationships at its heart. It is as beautiful and moving as anything I have come across. The final scene of the series is still reverberating with me, with a truly hypnotic monologue by Carrie Coon. The cast is excellent across the board, with extraordinary rich performances also from Christopher Eccleston, Regina King, Scott Glenn and Justin Theroux in particular. Masterful direction from Mimi Leder. And the writing just sings from Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta. This is a piece of art that demands your attention and, like life, it doesnt offer easy answers, but instead examines the things that make us who we are. If you want to be challenged and immersed in a captivating creative world, then I urge you to seek this out. It might just be the best thing I have ever seen.

Posted on : By : kalleryan Posted in : Inspiration|Spark in the Dark

California Dreamin’

Had the best weekend in ages. Went on a road trip down to Monterey, Carmel and Santa Cruz. Beautiful fuel for the creative mind. I captured some timelapse of the different stages of the journey on my GoPro. As a creative challenge to myself, I wanted to put them together in a unique way, so I ended up piecing them together into this triptych style video. Happy with the end result and I learned some new skills in the process.

Posted on : By : kalleryan Posted in : Inspiration|Spark in the Dark

Kallefornia

I recently had the privilege of going on my first work trip to California since the pandemic. It was a feast for the senses, with rich colours, unique scents, sea breezes, soft sunlight, city sounds, ocean spray and everything else in between. It was a truly rejuvenating experience. I feel lucky to have been able to be there. My creative energy was replenished by awe-inspiring rooftop vistas, walks along the Pacific Ocean, a hot tub in the mountains, and a wonderful wander around San Francisco, that included a pilgrimage to my favourite book shop, City Lights. Thank you universe!

Posted on : By : kalleryan Posted in : Inspiration

SEVERANCE = GENIUS

I watched this remarkable show last week and it is still reverberating with me. An astonishing piece of work that tackles grief, identity, work-life balance, belief systems, and so much more. A workplace drama that doubles as a meditation on life, with a propulsive piece of thriller storytelling at its centre. There’s hints of David Lynch eeriness & oddity, with elements of The Office mundanity, Michel Gondry surrealism, and sprinkled with inventive, offbeat humour.

This is a profound work of art made by people at the absolute top of their game – deft direction by Ben Stiller & Aoife McCardle, note-perfect acting from the entire cast (special shout outs to John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Zach Cherry and Britt Lower), sumptuous art direction, and, most importantly, crisp, clever writing by Dan Erickson. Exceptional storytelling, expertly delivered.

The season finale of the show might actually be one of the best hours of television I have seen, with a taut, tense, compelling, forward-moving story that answers questions in a clever way, and also opens up many more. The next season can’t come soon enough.

It’s on Apple TV+ so you can grab a week’s free trial to see it, or indeed, sign up and watch it at your leisure.