UNSTRUKTURED with Michelle Rose

About UNSTRUKTURED with Michelle Rose

Inside the mind of the modern creative warrior. Warriors & Roses™ dives into the emotional reality of creative life... the loneliness, obsession, and persistence it takes to build something beautiful out of chaos. Host Michelle Rose talks with musicians, designers, and writers who have fought for their art and found meaning in the struggle. Through the fight, the ritual, and the release, these long-form conversations explore what it costs to stay open, inspired, and human in a world that often demands armor. This is where the warrior meets the artist ... where courage and creation collide. struktursociety.substack.com (https://struktursociety.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Inside the mind of a modern creative warrior.

Category

arts · music

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

1 Jan 2016

Latest episode

24 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

45 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Apr 2026

   Warriors & Roses 03: Morgan Love Thomas

   In this episode of Warriors & Roses, host Michelle Rose talks with creative director, writer, and former colleague Morgan Love Thomas about what happens when a successful creative life collapses from the inside… and what it takes to rebuild from almost nothing. Morgan and Michelle first knew each other at The North Face, where they both led creative teams and built a mutual respect through the work. Years later, they reconnected after Morgan shared a deeply personal post on LinkedIn about his mental health crisis, a moment he feared might be “career suicide,” but which instead opened the door to connection, honesty, and this conversation. Morgan’s story moves through depression, undiagnosed bipolar disorder, misdiagnosis, mania, psychosis, psychiatric holds, incarceration, family rupture, and the failure of systems that were supposed to protect him. He speaks candidly about being unable to advocate for himself, being placed in unsafe environments, and discovering how quickly a person in crisis can be mislabeled, mishandled, and stripped of dignity. But this episode is not only about what broke. It is also about what returned. Michelle and Morgan explore the deeper creative wound underneath the crisis: the lifelong feeling that his work.. especially work in graphics, apparel, and T-shirts… was somehow less serious or less valuable, even though it shaped culture, carried meaning, and connected people. When so much of his former life was stripped away, creativity became one of the few things Morgan could still recognize as his own. They also talk about purpose-driven work, Morgan’s apparel project MAKELOVE™ (https://makelovecalifornia.com/pages/about-us), his desire to give back to mental health advocacy, and the creative community in Leimert Park that helped him reconnect with art, humanity, and love. In that community, Morgan found not polish or prestige, but something more essential: real people, real creativity, and the kind of belonging that helps a person come back to themselves. This is a conversation about mental health, creative value, family rupture, broken systems, midlife identity, and the kind of self-love that is not soft or sentimental but disciplined, hard-won, and necessary. It is about what happens when everything familiar is taken away, and the only way forward is to rebuild from truth, purpose, creativity, and love. A gentle note before listening: this episode touches on mental health crisis, suicidal ideation, psychiatric holds, incarceration, and family rupture, so please take care of yourself as you listen. 00:00 Welcome to Warriors & Roses01:47 The LinkedIn post that opened the conversation03:01 The North Face, creative work, and professional identity04:40 The hidden struggles midlife creatives carry08:32 Creativity, purpose, and Make Love10:48 Morgan begins his mental health story12:16 Misdiagnosis, mania, and psychiatric crisis25:56 What mania feels like from the inside29:04 Family rupture, sleeplessness, and psychosis37:36 Inside a broken psychiatric system50:49 The community that helped Morgan heal57:04 Creativity, belonging, and coming back to himself01:18:44 Learning to love yourself01:24:45 Closing the conversation MORGAN LOVE THOMAS Morgan Love Thomas (https://book.morganlovethomas.com/linktree-page) is a Creative Director living in Portland, Oregon. With over twenty five years of product, brand, and retail marketing experience, Morgan has the proven ability to lead design organizations across a variety of consumer segments, including cannabis (wellness), lifestyle, sport, and outdoor. His work has been recognized and awarded by Communication Arts, The Type Directors Club, Print Magazine, Graphis, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). Morgan is currently writing a book about his experience. You can join the waitlist here (https://book.morganlovethomas.com/waitlist). ABOUT THE BOOK What would you do if the doctors you sought help from actually poisoned you? The mental health system in this country is broken. Not metaphorically. Literally. Broken. This book is one man’s proof. After a misdiagnosis triggered a full psychiatric crisis in his undiagnosed bipolar brain, Morgan Love Thomas entered a system that was supposed to save him. Instead- it imprisoned, demeaned and ridiculed him. And continued to poison him. California’s public psychiatric facilities — overcrowded, underserved, and indifferent — are jails for the mentally ill dressed in clinical language. Inside, there is no treatment, no dignity, no path forward. Only forced medication, confusion, humiliation, fear, and the slow erosion of self. I Flew Into the Cuckoo’s Nest is a first-person account of institutional failure told without filtering and without apology. It follows one man’s descent from misdiagnosis through mania to full on psychosis — and his time locked inside the wards of some of California’s worst psychiatric facilities as well as the notorious LA County Jail... Places that call themselves treatment centers, but offer nothing resembling care. It is raw. It is specific. And it does not look away. This is not just one man’s story, it is a case for change. STRUKTUR SOCIETY This episode has been brought to you by Struktur Society (https://www.struktursociety.com/)… a multimedia publishing and community platform tracking and translating how creativity, business, and technology shape culture in the age of AI, across design, art, and music. Through writing, podcasting, and live events, we share insights, prompts, and practices for modern creative leadership. © StrukturSphere llc 2026. Original music by Greg Brace Music. Struktur Society is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Struktur Society at struktursociety.substack.com/subscribe (https://struktursociety.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   25 Feb 2026

   Struktur Mind Meld 01: Richard Campbell

   Episode 01 kicks off the Struktur Mind Meld with a conversation that zooms out before we zoom in. I sit down with Richard Campbell, a technologist who wrote his first line of code in 1977 and has spent decades across hardware, software, development, and operations. With founder experience (including Strangeloop Networks, later acquired by Radware) and a long track record as a builder, advisor, and host of shows like .NET Rocks, RunAs Radio, and Windows Weekly, Richard brings a rare “been there for every wave” perspective. Together, we map the development of AI: how we got from there to here, where we may be headed next, and then get real about what’s underneath so many people’s reactions to this moment: fear. Fear of job loss. Fear of being replaced. Fear of not keeping up. Richard and I will unpack what AI is (and isn’t), how it actually functions as a tool, and why the more useful story for creatives isn’t replacement, it’s amplification: doing your work faster and better, and making things you couldn’t have made before. We’ll explore all of this and more. If you’ve been keeping your distance because AI feels threatening or overwhelming, this episode is an on-ramp: grounded, human, and practical. And if you’ve joined past Mind-Melds and wished for a more technical edge, this conversation signals what’s next: we’re moving beyond the basics, widening the lens, and bringing in deeper expert perspectives while staying accessible. RICHARD CAMPBELLRichard Campbell wrote his first line of code in 1977. His career has spanned the computing industry both on the hardware and software sides, development and operations. He was a co-founder of Strangeloop Networks, acquired by Radware in 2013, and was on the board of directors of Telerik acquired by Progress Software in 2014. Today he is a consultant and advisor to several successful technology firms and serves as the chairperson of Cloud Army, a consumer neuroscience company. Richard also hosts the podcasts .NET Rocks, RunAs Radio, and Windows Weekly. He is one of the producers of the DevIntersection series of conferences. https://runasradio.com/ (https://runasradio.com/) https://www.dotnetrocks.com/ (https://www.dotnetrocks.com/) https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly (https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly) https://devintersection.com/ (https://devintersection.com/) ABOUT THE MIND-MELDThe Struktur AI Mind-Meld is a collaborative gathering for artists, designers, musicians, and creative professionals to explore the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence through coversation, shared insight, lived experience, and open discussion. Together, we’ll dig into the challenges, fears, opportunities, and ideas that AI brings to our work and creative lives. We’ll ask questions, exchange tools and resources, and share how each of us is navigating this fast-moving space. Expect a space for:• Honest dialogue about what’s shifting and what’s staying grounded• Peer-to-peer stories and strategies• Leadership and clarity in times of rapid change• Collective insight into creative futures shaped by human + machine collaboration This is creative community in action, not about mastering AI, but about shaping how we meet it. ABOUT STRUKTUR SOCIETY Struktur Society is a multimedia publishing and community platform tracking and translating how creativity, business, and technology shape culture in the age of AI, across design, art, and music. Through writing, podcasting, and live events, we share insights, prompts, and practices for modern creative leadership. Follow Struktur Society (https://www.struktursociety.com/) on Substack (https://struktursociety.substack.com/), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@struktursociety), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/struktursociety/), and now on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/struktursociety.bsky.social). Struktur Society is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Struktur Society at struktursociety.substack.com/subscribe (https://struktursociety.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   27 Jan 2026

   Warriors & Roses 02: Greg Brace

   This episode dives into what it means to dedicate your life to an art form that’s constantly changing, even crumbling, beneath you. Greg Brace, a lifelong metal musician, composer, and performer, began his creative journey in an era when music still lived in CDs, magazines, and sweaty live rooms. He watched the industry shift… from analog to digital, from albums to algorithms… and had to rebuild not only his career but his identity as an artist, all while staying true to the magic of music. Now, finding new momentum and recognition in midlife, Greg’s story becomes a meditation on resilience, evolution, and the courage to stay devoted to human-created sound when the entire landscape changes around you. Join me in conversation with my friend, guitar teacher, and partner in life as we dig into his creative path as a professional musician, artist, and performer. 00:00:34 Cold Open: “All my answers are provided by Claude.”00:01:00 Welcome + premise: the constant fight to stay creative00:01:33 Core question: the artist you are and the fighter you’ve had to become00:02:16 The calling: identity, instinct, and why you do what you do00:06:51 When the fight starts: band dynamics, limits, money, survival00:10:11 A break + the industry shift + “bursting out”00:11:28 “It’s not about the business” expression over fame00:14:06 Craft origins: composition degree00:18:08 The Skeleton Key: craft, theory, and creative freedom00:25:37 Play, language, Morning Pages: the mind that moves things around00:39:41 The modern fight: overload, comparison, finding traction00:46:31 Rituals that hold you: meditation and making space01:05:01 Armor, endurance, and keeping the flame alive01:15:36 AI era context: doubling down on the human process01:21:52 Closing words: trust intuition and tap into the subtleties GREG BRACE Greg Brace (https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-brace-261b661b6/) has had a multifaceted musical career spanning more than 25 years. Based out of Oakland, CA, he is an active recording and touring musician across multiple instruments (guitar, bass, vocals) and is a film/media composer and music educator. Greg’s musical writing and design styles range from virtuosic and darkly cerebral to ambient and meditative to orchestral and cinematic. In the recent past, Greg has worked in Dispirit as live and recording guitarist with John Gossard, known as the godfather of American Black Metal (Weakling, Asunder), and shared the stage with artists like Blood Incantation, Yob, and Drab Majesty. His current focus is guitarist and backing vocalist for the band Vastum, where he serves as co-creative and pre production director for their upcoming sixth studio album. As a music educator and mentor specializing in guitar, Greg helps students deepen their musical capabilities through a blend of self-directed creative exploration and thoughtful study of music theory and composition. Drawing on his experience across vastly different musical contexts, he believes that adept musicians must develop their own voice through dedicated creative experimentation while grasping the core elements of music, and understanding what’s come before. He emphasizes helping students understand themselves through music and connect with the world through performance, showing how the same foundational skills serve both crushing death metal riffs and delicate ambient soundscapes… and everywhere in between. STRUKTUR SOCIETY This episode has been brought to you by Struktur Society (https://www.struktursociety.com/)… a multimedia publishing and community platform tracking and translating how creativity, business, and technology shape culture in the age of AI, across design, art, and music. Through writing, podcasting, and live events, we share insights, prompts, and practices for modern creative leadership. © StrukturSphere llc 2026. Original music by Greg Brace Music. Struktur Society is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Struktur Society at struktursociety.substack.com/subscribe (https://struktursociety.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Who has been a guest on UNSTRUKTURED with Michelle Rose

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Harun Bonnett
• Lake Kyle
• Juan Carlos Hernandez

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 40 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

55

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

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