Saying "yes" to our creative impulse

Saying "yes" to our creative impulse

Author: Charts & Leisure April 9, 2025 Duration: 48:42

In this episode of Unravelling, filmmaker and Occidental College professor Aleem Hossain joins host Kurt White for a wide-ranging conversation on the role creativity plays in both personal fulfillment and mental health. Aleem reflects on how making art can serve not only others, but our future selves—leaving behind breadcrumbs of who we were and what we felt. Together, he and Kurt unpack the personal and cultural barriers to embracing creativity, the importance of play and exploration without an end goal, and the joy of saying yes to one’s creative impulses.
They also explore the idea that consuming art is a creative act in itself—one that invites us to pause, feel, reflect, and connect with the full spectrum of being human. This episode is a reminder that being creative doesn’t mean being perfect or productive. Sometimes it just means making a little space, not judging yourself, and seeing what shows up.

Links:

Go to aleemhossein.com to learn more about Aleem's films and to subscribe to his newsletter on issues of creativity, inclusion, and diversity in filmmaking.

For an old photo of Kurt and Aleem at University of Chicago, and a picture of the 25 aliens that Kurt drew after this episode, click here!


If you enjoy Unravelling, leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us and tell you friends about us!

And listeners, take note! We always want to hear from you with reactions, topic ideas, stories or other suggestions. Send us an email, an old fashioned voice message, or a voice memo by using unravel@brattlebororetreat.org or by calling 802-258-POD3 (802-258-7633)!


There’s a thread that connects our inner lives to the culture we live in, and Unravelling pulls on it to see what emerges. This isn’t a lecture series, but a conversation guided by therapist Kurt White and journalist Mary Wilson, who bring their distinct perspectives to every discussion. They explore how mental health is woven into everything from our daily fitness routines and societal pressures to the art we consume and the relationships we keep. In each episode, you’ll hear from experts who study the mind alongside individuals sharing their personal, lived experiences, creating a dialogue that feels both intellectually rigorous and deeply human. The aim is to move beyond simple definitions, examining how anxiety, resilience, joy, and struggle shape our collective reality. Produced by Charts & Leisure, this podcast provides a space for nuance, challenging the idea that our psychological worlds exist in a vacuum. It’s for anyone who has ever felt the tension between their private thoughts and the public world, offering not easy answers but a more textured understanding. By listening, you become part of a broader exploration into how compassion, for ourselves and our society, can actually be built from a place of genuine curiosity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Unravelling
Podcast Episodes
Not alone, not a burden: broadening the dialogue on suicide [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:40
Special early release of Unravelling - one day early to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day, Sept. 10. In this episode of Unravelling, Kurt White interviews Kirk Woodring, a licensed social worker with extensive e…
Relax! Nothing is under control [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:43
In this episode of Unravelling, Mary interviews Pedro Fabião, a psychotherapist, psychodramatist, and clown! Pedro shares how embracing playfulness and reconnecting with one's inner child can lead to deeper self-awarenes…
Abiding in grief: finding our humanity in love and loss [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:40
In this episode of Unravelling, Kurt interviews Dr. Drew Pate, a psychiatrist, who discusses the complex nature of grief and loss. He shares his journey into understanding grief, which began early in his career and becam…
Encountering one's self in living and dying [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:46
The episode features an engaging interview with Dr. Katherine McLean, a writer and research scientist with expertise in mindfulness meditation and psychedelics. Dr. McLean explores the importance of being open to convers…
Gender-affirming care is a lifesaving mental health intervention [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:30
Episode 2 of Unravelling features Mary's powerful interview with Dallas Ducar, an entrepreneur, advocate, and healthcare leader who speaks with us both about her own lived experience as well as her research and advocacy…
Mental health needs in the transgender community [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:29
We are thrilled to be joined on the inaugural episode of Unravelling by Dr. Karl Jeffries, chief medical officer of the Brattleboro Retreat, who talks with us about the mental health needs of the trans community, includi…
Introducing Unravelling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22
Hosted by Kurt White and Mary Wilson, Unravelling is a podcast that looks at the world through the lens of mental health.