Sampy Sicada is a surrealist painter based in New York City.

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(00:00) Moving to US for SCAD, then NYU

(03:06) Hong Kong birth, international schooling, UK move

(06:11) Early drawing, Captain Underpants, not serious yet

(09:02) Hong Kong atmosphere: stress, conformity, not belonging

(12:44) Identity split: British colony legacy, cultural tensions

(16:07) Asian collectivism vs Western individual sovereignty

(19:05) UK difference: permission to live your own way

(22:08) Falling out, grief, depression, homelessness begins

(25:41) Living in parks, unsafe circles, police beating

(29:18) Turning point: “draw the best thing” challenge

(32:12) Learning craft: A-levels, Photoshop, media studies

(35:10) Posting online, traction, documentary goes viral

(38:03) What he drew: surreal graphite portraits, then upgrades

(41:06) What homelessness left: gratitude, work ethic, resilience

(44:15) Art world contradictions: inequality, wealth gatekeeping

(47:33) Temptations and friends: drugs, meth couple, hard lessons

(50:52) Helping vs sinking: lifeguard analogy, boundaries

(53:26) London design jobs, awards, commissions, then COVID shift

(56:22) Surrealism and psychoanalysis: why it communicates

(59:14) Why New York: ambition, art capital, “go there” regrets

(62:41) Identity beyond homelessness, grad school, success defined

Eric Berryman is an actor based in New York City.

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(00:00) Destiny, family roots, New York as home base

(03:08) Teacher advice: New York won’t walk away

(06:41) No single “artist moment,” just always knew

(10:02) Childhood assembly poem and grandmother’s prophecy

(13:37) Drawn to acting, TV, movies from early on

(17:05) Classical-actor dreams: Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekhov, Wilson

(20:44) Loving the archive, but staying forward-looking

(24:18) Why freelancing mattered: freedom to move and shake

(27:56) Too many interests: loving every style and genre

(31:22) Wanting great stories, not one lane

(34:57) Admiration over competition; rising with peers

(38:30) First “public lines” in sixth-grade drama club

(41:48) Magnet arts school and the Wishing Star Theater

(45:21) Early roles: Annie, then Charlie Brown lead

(48:55) Serious kid bio; faith, family, and rides home

(52:27) Why actor bios are overrated; performance should speak

(55:59) Acting as joy, plus subjective feedback and “proof”

(59:33) Performing as how he makes sense of life

(63:04) Reviving Toasts: oral tradition, folklore, preservation

(66:40) Returning to Carnegie: voice/movement, “unorthodox success”

(70:12) Regional theater circuit: working everywhere, staying NYC-based

(74:05) Kennedy Center breakthrough; learning power of relationships

(78:11) Backdoor-ninja into New York; saying yes to everything

(82:07) Identity, career grounding, and the pre-COVID hiatus plan

(85:03) 2019 whirlwind; heartbreak, money, and theater economics

(87:58) Defining success: freedom, time, and “do what I want”

Ofri Nehemya is a jazz drummer based in New York City.

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(00:00) Moving to New York, COVID detour to Israel

(02:05) Why jazz pointed to New York early

(05:10) Musical family roots, drummer dad, sister too

(08:25) First memories: drums at age two

(12:00) “It chose me”: passion, fear of losing music

(15:45) Gratitude: living off art, doing fulfilling music

(19:30) Family immigration: Yemen to Israel, India to Israel

(23:10) Jewish communities in India and Yemen, culture

(27:05) Telma Yalin arts high school: finding your people

(31:20) Competition, insecurity, and growth in that environment

(35:40) High school structure: majors, mixed classes, mentors

(39:30) New York as jazz mecca and American dream logic

(43:50) Military service, then moving at 22

(47:30) Skipping college: touring, visas, and calculated risk

(51:10) Early New York reality check: fire, accent, standards

(57:15) Progress formula: mental health, kindness, karma, reputation

(61:05) Heroes, dream gigs, and favorite NYC jazz clubs

(65:10) Money and success: appreciation, impact, balance