In this episode, we talk with Michael Alan Ross, photographer, author of Porsche Outlaws: Stuttgart Hot Rods, and longtime creative professional. Michael shares his journey from a 25-year career as a musician to becoming a respected photographer after landing a singing role in a Ford commercial that introduced him to photography.

We explore the world of Porsche Outlaws, where Porsche models are customized through weight reduction, suspension upgrades, and performance enhancements to create personalized, high performance cars. Michael also dives into the creative process behind editorial photography, emphasizing storytelling, problem-solving under pressure, and the importance of lighting, timing, location, and logistics.

Throughout the conversation, Michael highlights the value of adaptability, strong creative relationships, and how “luck” often comes from years of preparation and hard work.

Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel.

We’re kicking off the new year with some exciting announcements and big things ahead for the Chaos & Creativity universe.

This year, we’re thrilled to introduce a new podcast hosted by Sabrina Sarl. Mothers of Creativity spotlights women who make a living through their creative work while also navigating motherhood. Becoming a mom can change everything, and this series explores how creative women continue to pursue their passions. Sabrina brings such a thoughtful, honest perspective to these conversations, and she has some truly special interviews planned for 2026.

We also share what’s next for Chaos & Creativity, so be sure to tune in to hear what’s coming and how the show is continuing to grow.

Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

We’ve made it to our last episode of the year and the season one finale.

To close things out, Lou and Kimi are sharing 12 things they’ve been loving lately. These are things that have inspired them, helped them slow down, or simply made life a little better as creatives.

This is our version of the 12 Days of Christmas. No endorsements, no sponsors. Just books, shows, tools, and ideas we genuinely enjoy.

We’re talking about what we’re reading, watching, and adding into our lives as we head into a new year.

Kimi’s Picks

1. Klara and the Sun

2. Deep Listening by Pauline Oliveros

3. Notion

4. Brick (screen time device)

5. Murder, She Wrote

6. Sisters with Transistors (2020 documentary)

Lou’s Picks

1. WANDRD

2. Storyist

3. Scriptnotes

4. When Things Were Good: An Editor’s Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines

5. Down Cemetery Road (Apple TV+)

6. Slow Horses (Apple TV+)

Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

Kimi and Lou explore the different “characters” we step into throughout our lives — the versions of ourselves that show up in different moments, relationships, and creative seasons. They talk about the parts of us that live quietly inside, the ones that guide our choices, and the ones we grow out of.

Lou shares what he’s learned from writing a stage play and how storytelling forces you to meet all these inner characters. They dig into collaboration, what it means to step into someone else’s creative world, how to add to it, and how to defend your own vision while still making room for others.

A reflective episode on creativity, identity, and the art of building something together.

Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

Join Lou and Jeff Burkhart, award-winning writer, bartender, and columnist for the Marin Independent Journal, as they dive behind the scenes of Tale of a Barfly.

Inspired by Jeff’s bestselling book Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Tale of a Barfly is a story of life, love, and cocktails. It’s a riches-to-rags journey that reminds us all of life’s greatest truths can be found while watching the world from behind a bar.

For over a decade, Jeff and Lou have collaborated on live, enhanced book readings performed to sold-out audiences at the Sweetwater in Mill Valley. Tale of a Barfly is their next ambitious evolution, an original play written by Lou and featuring Burkhart’s stories and spirit.

A unique blend of storytelling, humor, and humanity, and a journey you won’t want to miss.

Get your tickets now, they are selling fast! 

https://tickets.marincenter.org/orderticketsarea.asp?p=5236&a=455&src=eventperformances

Kimi and Lou are back with their well-deserved opinions in this week’s minisode or what we’re now calling bitchsodes. 

When Amazon quietly erased guns from classic James Bond posters, it sparked a bigger conversation about censorship, revisionism, and the strange urge to “remaster” the past.

Why does art keep getting sanitized? Does censoring a movie poster really help anything?

Lou and Kimi unpack it all, reminding us that erasing symbols won’t erase reality.

Moral of the story: Bring back Napster...

Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

Episode Links: 

James Bond Poster

The History of Napster

Movie: The Social Network

Lou heads to London to chat with Joe Ingham, an award-winning producer and filmmaker who works in development and production across both the UK and US. Joe has helped bring projects to life with Amazon, BBC, Sky, Channel 4, Paramount, and more, and his films Baby Lies Truthfully and The Microcosm.

In this episode, Joe breaks down what “development” in TV and film actually means, taking an idea from its earliest spark and shaping it into something ready for the screen. He talks about the creativity, patience, and people skills it takes to make it happen, plus the importance of keeping an open mind and creating space for new ideas.

If you’ve ever wondered what really goes on before your favorite shows or documentaries get made, this conversation will pull back the curtain on a side of the industry most people never get to see.

Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

In this mini-episode, Lou and Kimi talk about YouTube running AI filters over videos, without creators asking for it. Has AI ever automatically edited your content? What does that mean for creativity?

YouTube is one of the biggest living archives we have, but if AI starts changing our work, are we actually moving backward? Things are already at the point of overproduction, and social media feels exhausting. 

Lou and Kimi ask: should AI be making creative decisions, or do we need to bring back imperfection and stay connected to art?

Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

Episode Links: 

BBC Article: YouTube secretly used AI to edit people's videos. The results could bend reality

Rick Beato Youtube 

In this episode, Kimi and Lou sit down with award-winning visual artist Natalie Lennard, also known as self-portraitist Miss Aniela, and surreal fashion photographer Natalie Dybisz.

Natalie reveals the genesis of her highly imagined photographic art and how she holds on to the joy of creating despite the sometimes difficult challenges of realizing her vision. Lou and Natalie talk about what it takes to follow inspiration with intention, how art evolves over time, and why exploring new directions keeps creativity alive.

As Natalie Lennard, she is best known for her powerful and groundbreaking Birth Undisturbed series, a stunning and surreal exploration of feminism and natural childbirth. Natalie digs into how the series came together and how it affected her.

The conversation also touches on the role of AI in art, asking whether it can support creativity without replacing it. Natalie also opens up about audiences, identity, and her exciting shift into writing a novel.

Whether you’re an artist looking for inspiration or simply curious about the forces that shape creativity, this episode offers a thoughtful look at building art, vision, and meaning from the ground up.

Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

In this minisode, Kimi and Lou dive into the fascinating and sometimes unsettling world of AI. Sparked by the appearance of an AI model in Vogue, they explore how artificial intelligence is transforming art, fashion, and creativity. 

Is AI taking jobs from real artists and models? How is it impacting diversity and beauty standards? Could it be limiting the very creativity that inspires us?

Kimi and Lou also reflect on the moments of raw, human creativity that AI cannot replicate and what we risk losing as technology advances. Whether you are a creator, a fashion lover, or simply curious about the AI revolution, this episode will make you rethink what you see online and what is real.

Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!

In this episode, Lou and Kimi sit down with Ava Roy who is celebrating her 25 years at We Players, a theater company that brings productions to life in breathtaking outdoor locations. Ava has been transforming California’s parks, shorelines, and historic sites into epic stages for over two decades.

Known for crafting performances that merge place with play, Ava shares how physical space can ignite the imagination and shape the emotional arc of a show. She breaks down the deeply complex and alchemical process of creating a production that doesn’t just entertain but envelops, where the audience is not just watching but living the experience.

We talk about how imperfection fuels art, the demands of building something from nothing, and how growing up surrounded by history shaped Ava’s uniquely intuitive and imaginative approach to directing.

If you’ve ever wondered how a play comes together or how place can become a character of its own, this is a must listen.

Her next show, The Keeper, co-created with Britt Lauer, a celebration of the small and the vast — an absurd and joyful drama premiering September 5–7, 2025 at the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center in Washington.

Stay tuned for more Chaos & Creativity on Instagram. And remember, always act a little cooler than you feel!