Inside the Creative Process; Conversations with Artists, Writers, Performers, & Creatives

In a delightful conversation, Alicia speaks with chroeographer, director, and writer Alexander Beller about empathy, violence, rigor, and not-knowing inside her creative process. As a teacher, Alexandra speaks of helping her students attune to their own creative knowing while simultaneously developing capacity for not knowing. Her recent book The Anatomy of Art supports dance and theatre artists in their own creative process. 

More About Alexandra Beller:

1. The Anatomy of Art Book website: https://www.anatomy-of-art.com/

2. Alexandra Beller's Website: https://www.alexandrabellerdances.org/
3. Explore Beller's Choreographic Work: https://vimeo.com/137205732?share=copy

 

Alexandra Beller (MFA, CMA), Artistic Director of Alexandra Beller/Dances (2002-present) was a Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company member from 1995-2001. Alexandra created 60+ Dance Theatre works in Korea, Hong Kong, Oslo, Cyprus, and the US. University work includes Barnard, SUNY Purchase, Rutgers, Princeton, UCSB, U of MI (Ann Arbor), and The New School.

She taught at Princeton 2015-2022 and is on faculty at the Laban Institute for Movement Studies. She also teaches at HB Studios, Gibney Dance Center. She choreographs and teaches internationally. She wrote two books: The Embodied Conductor: A Somatic Approach to Conducting with Laban and Bartenieff (Publisher TBA soon), and The Anatomy of Art: Unlocking the Creative Process for Theater and Dance (Bloomsbury, 2025).

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For more from Alicia go to www.aliciapetersonbaskel.com

or

IG: @aliciapetersonbaskel

 

In this episode, Alicia talks about the work an artist can do to encourage inspiration to strike. It's never a guarantee, but when we are working and thinking about an idea we open the door. THEN we need to get moving. Not simply putting pen to paper or ink to canvas. But going out and seeing other people's work, following intuitive nudges, wandering, remembering, and going within.

If you'd like Alicia's support in your creative process, please check out her creative mentoring series - Creative Chrysalis at aliciapetersonbaskel.com

To follow along on Alicia's writing adventures, find her on Instagram: @aliciapetersonbaskel

In this episode, Alicia shares a new creative journey that she is moving through. Adventures she is taking herself on in order to stimulate a writing practice. She helps us all remember that we don't need to know where we're going with our creativity, we simply have to value ourselves and our creative process enough to get started. 

If you are interested in her 1:1 creative mentorship program, please check out www.aliciapetersonbaskel.com 

Follow Alicia's Writing Adventures series on Instagram @aliciapetersonbaskel

In this episode, Alicia shares her reflections on The Invitation Situation, a dance theatre piece by Jeanine Durning. This work features four dance artists, Andee Scott, Mary Williford-Shade, Heidi Brewer, and Clare Croft improvising with both moving and speaking inside Durning's improvisation technique, Nonstopping. 

For more information about The Invitation Situation, check out their website: theinvitationsituation.com

For more ways to follow Alicia, check out her IG: @aliciapetersonbaskel

For ways to work with Alicia, visit her website: aliciapetersonbaskel.com

In this episode, Alicia rants about the 11.8 million dollars that are meant to be cut from the City of San Diego's budget leaving funding for the arts in Sad Diego at zero. She pleads with the arts audiences, the parents, and the appreciators to take a stand for the arts in their community. But overall it's about encouraging ourselves to value the art we make and the industry as a whole. 

To take action: https://docs.google.com/document/d/192LgknYvbwpaIkRzdCUkYTKNxCkvwVw4gqWqGwFEnRU/edit?usp=sharing

MIGRATION: A dance piece at the San Diego International Airport (terminal 1) Thursdays 5/7 & 5/14 from 5-7pm

Work with Alicia: 1:1 Breathwork for Creativity and/or At the Edge of Sleep audio series: https://mailchi.mp/900f71ff42c6/aliciapetersonbaskel

In this episode, I talk about the artist's difficulties entering unknown territory. As much as I love the mess in the middle of a process, I find myself blocked at the beginning of a process. I share about my own personal (current) experience of starting something new and the fears that come with it. 

If you enjoy this episode, check out this episode about the messy middle: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-creative-process-conversations-with/id1600742208?i=1000701239978

If you'd like to work with Alicia privately in her 1:1 breathwork practice, check out her calendar here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=25643833&appointmentType=category:Breathwork

Follow Alicia on Instagram at @aliciapetersonbaskel

There are at least two outcomes that occur as a result of Improvised Dancing: vulnerability of the artist and organic composition. For me, these are two of the most sought after experiences when witnessing art: depth and surprise. In this episode, I look at two pieces of art I've recently encountered: a dance piece called CURRENTING directed by K.J. Holmes and the speculative memoir IN THE DREAM HOUSE by Carmen Maria Machado. 

If you'd like to work with me more deeply, join me for a 1:1 Somatic Breathwork Session: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=25643833&appointmentType=category:Breathwork

Or Find me on Instagram @aliciapetersonbaskel

In this episode, Alicia not only encourages artists to create work that is unedited but she actually embodies this practice by publishing an unedited podcast episode and allowing the final product to live as is. Its a liberating experience but also helps the creation of artwork to be more sustainable, risky, and raw.

Please consider becoming a monthly patron to the podcast: https://square.link/u/qRH77sKf

Follow Alicia on Instagram at @aliciapetersonbaskel

Michelle and Alicia discuss the way dance and creative practice reflects the beauty of life when we as artists and healers make ourselves available to something "bigger" than us. Michelle brings in her knowledge of human design (and a multitude of other embodied modalities) to articulate the importance of each us learning to listen to our own alignment.

You can find more information about Michelle by heading to her website: https://www.michelleboule.com/home/

Or following her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelle.boule/

If you enjoyed this episode, you will definitely enjoy this past episode with Michelle: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-creative-process-conversations-with/id1600742208?i=1000600879652

And if you enjoy journeying into the spiritual aspects of Creativity, please check out this episode with visual artist Kelly Heaton: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-creative-process-conversations-with/id1600742208?i=1000610592229

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Follow Alicia Peterson Baskel on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/aliciapetersonbaskel/

There's still time to get $50 off your 1:1 Breathwork with Alicia by using the code "healthyholiday" through Dec. 31, 2025 https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=25643833&appointmentType=category:Breathwork

 

We hear the word Consistent often as a goal to aspire to. As a trait that makes us worthy and often the only solution to be productive or gain the attention we seek. But Alicia wants to look at OTHER ways to be productive, creative, and "consistent".

The truth is that we are each uniquely built down to the way we process and create. There is no "one size fits all" approach to getting into your most creative space. So why not explore what works for you?

If community and focus would serve your creative process, join Alicia Monday 12/8 or 12/15 at 9am pst for a 60 minute session that includes both Breathwork and Studio Time. It's all over Zoom. To register for free: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=25643833&appointmentType=86491935

If you enjoyed this episode, we suggest:

A conversation with Michelle Boulé : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-creative-process-conversations-with/id1600742208?i=1000600879652

Alicia's ongoing performance process thus far with collaborator Omar Ramos: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-creative-process-conversations-with/id1600742208?i=1000722091117

Alicia's picture book writing process: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-creative-process-conversations-with/id1600742208?i=1000724184254

Thank you for tuning in. If you'd like to stay connected with Alicia, follow her over on Instagram at @aliciapetersonbaskel or subscribe to this podcast to be notified when a new episode is released.