Season 2 Teaser

Today I’m speaking with Janet Sartor, a womenswear designer and creative consultant who also teaches at Istituto Marangoni, about fashion as a language that sometimes speaks before we even know it.We talk about how the place we live shapes our personal style, about clothing and memory and the sensations our clothes carry, and, as is almost inevitable with fashion, the conversation tiptoes into gender stereotypes.It happens to be a deep conversation, yet we finish on a light note, talking about playful activities around the theme, a way into our self-image: how we see ourselves and how others see us.Today’s guest:Janet SartorResources mentioned in the episode:Movie "Notebook on Cities and Clothes"by Wim Wendersabout Japanese fashion designer Yohji YamamotoHostSasha Mazur-K⁠⁠Talent Free Substrack⁠Instagram ⁠⁠LinkedIn

Today I’m speaking with Anca Croitoru — a mixed-media collage artist and workshop facilitator — about collage as a language that invites us to communicate without words. We talk about observing and collecting paper as part of our daily life and travelling habits, the power of creative groups, collage as a form of self-care and self-support, and why it is important to actually show up for yourself.We finish with a little collage exercise prompt you can try at home. And please feel free to share the outcome in the comments.Today’s guestAnca Croitoruhttps://bio.site/naivcreativhttps://www.instagram.com/naivcreativResources mentioned in the episode:Barcelona Journaling Festival 7 - 8 November in Barcelona⁠Journaling Festival in 24 - 25 July in New York 2027Talent Free Substrackhttps://substack.com/@sashamazurk?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-pageHost⁠Sasha Mazur-K⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠LinkedIn

This episode is with Elena Lander, actress, former TV presenter and founder of Renyxa Lab, on how acting helps us discover the many personalities that live inside each of us. We talk about acting as a way to expand ourselves, to understand who we are and to dig into the treasures we carry inside.Elena explains what psychological acting is and its roots in the Stanislavski method, and how the Michael Chekhov technique starts from the body instead. We also talk about why acting isn't only for professional actors, and how it can be a richer way to live your life.Today’s guestElena Landerhttps://www.instagram.com/renyxalab/https://www.elenalander.com/See Elena on stageThe Wasp by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, with Elena Lander and Selena Dols23 October 2026, 19:30 – Factory 32, Milan, ItalyBooks and resources mentioned in the episode:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Stanislavskihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Chekhov

We don't need permission to be creative.Season 2 of Talent Free goes looking for creativity in unexpected (for me) places or hidden in our day-to-day activities: the make-up we put on, the clothes we wear, the places we go to... even the rubbish in our bins (ssssh... spoiler).First episode out 13 October: actress and former TV presenter Elena Lander on the personalities and characters we play.

Today I'm talking with my friend Asya. She works in HR and career development and does not consider herself a creative person, but she wanted to explore creativity anyway. How do you let it into your life? What even is it? And how do we make sure the creative process doesn't become just another thing we're supposed to be doing to stay mentally healthy?This conversation gave me new angles and perspectives and it felt like exactly the right way to close the season.Today’s guestAsya SoskovaLinkedInTalent Free Substrackhttps://substack.com/@sashamazurk?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-pageHost⁠Sasha Mazur-K⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠LinkedIn

Today we are talking with Carmen. She is an author, poet, mentor, creative practitioner and campaigner. We started with differences between spoken and written stories and why retelling fairytales can be so powerful. Why it is better to be the Witch than the Muse and how fictional and even mystical narratives can help us cope with very real life circumstances and what that tells us about creativity as a mental and emotional process.It is a powerful and deep conversation that gave me a lot to think about.Today’s guestCarmen Marcushttps://carmenmarcus.co.uk/Books and resources mentioned in the episode:Toni MorrisonSelkie Woman storyClarissa Pinkola Estés “Women Who Run with the Wolves”CA Conrad “(Soma)tic Poetry Practice”Carmen Marcus “How Saints Die”Talent Free Substrackhttps://substack.com/@sashamazurk?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-pageHost⁠Sasha Mazur-K⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠LinkedIn

This episode is with Annie Guest — a mental health therapist and author who inherited her family home after years of caregiving and turned the renovation into a way to process grief. We talk about using objects and interior design to redirect memory toward the moments we cherish, how the creative process of making a home can support emotional healing, finding creative freedom within limitations, and memories that make us feel connected to people for whom we are irreplaceable even if they are gone.Today’s guestAnnie Guesthttps://www.annieguestdesignforyourmind.com/https://www.instagram.com/annieguestdesignResources mentioned in the episode:https://uk.pinterest.com/https://www.benjaminmooreitalia.com/https://heatherwick.com/project/maggies/Talent Free SubstackLink to SubstackHost⁠Sasha Mazur-K⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠LinkedIn

In this episode, I speak with Yuliya who is a costume designer and Butoh dancer.We talk about how attached we become to our masks, and how costume can shift from something we hide behind into a tool for exploration, play, and communication. Yuliya shares how Butoh is not only a dance form, but a philosophy of life and presence that invites slowness, attention, and transformation.This conversation moves between costume design, masks, embodiment, and Butoh as a living practice exploring creativity as a process of self-discovery and opening space to reflect on how we relate to the different personalities we carry, and how creativity can help us meet them with curiosity.Today’s guestYuliya V Krylovahttps://www.yuliyavkrylova.com/ButohUKInstagram People mentioned in the episode:Marie-Gabrielle Rotie

Today I’m speaking with Lilit — a photographer, filmmaker, and photography teacher — about lens-based practices that quickly open into something deeper: personal archives, memory, and the emotional power of images. We unpack therapeutic photography vs. photo therapy, and how working with personal photos can support mental health and the creative process through reflection, meaning-making, and visual storytelling. And why, in creative work, being childish can actually be a strength.Today’s guestLilit DanielyanTherapeutic Photography courseLinktreeInstagramAuthors mentioned in the episode:Neil Gibson "Therapeutic Photography: Enhancing Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy and Resilience"Judy Weiser "Phototherapy Techniques: Exploring the Secrets of Personal Snapshots and Family Albums"Gabor Maté "The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture"Elizabeth Gilbert Substack “Letters from Love”Frida Kahlo “The Diary of Frida Kahlo”Host⁠Sasha Mazur-K⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠LinkedIn

This episode is with Spring Groove singer, performer, and music therapist who treats music as medicine. We talk about voice as something you’re born with and how the inner critic, overthinking and other mental habits might silence it - and what that silencing costs us mentally and creatively. We also talk about choir and group singing and what magical powers it can hold.It’s in our power to become the DJ for the movie of our life.Today’s guestSpring Groovehttps://www.springgroove.com/https://www.yummmwellness.com/LinktreeBooks mentioned in the episode:“Don't Believe Everything You Think” Joseph Nguyen“Digital Dharma” Dr Deepak Chopra“A return to love” Marianne WilliamsonHost⁠Sasha Mazur-K⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠LinkedIn