The Create! Podcast

In this episode, Kat welcomes Marina Granger back for another installment of their ongoing series . They dive deep into the nuances of identity, confidence, and a unique manifestation practice Marina has utilized since she was twelve . Whether you are transitioning into a new career phase or simply feeling a dip in your creative self assurance, this conversation offers a quick, actionable ritual t...

So much of what we hear right now is about what is changing, what is closing, what is shifting. In this solo episode, Ekaterina Popova cuts through the noise to focus on what has remained true across every platform, every trend cycle, and every era of the art world: the core principles of getting paid for doing what you love. Kat takes us back to her teenage years, painting prom backdrops and danc...

What does it actually take to make art and make a living at the same time? This week, Ekaterina Popova sits down with Mason Currey, author of the beloved Daily Rituals series and his brand new book, Making Art and Making a Living (Celadon Books), a rich, research-driven look at how artists across centuries have funded their creative lives. From day jobs and patrons to inheritances, government gran...

If you have been going through a funk, whether it is burnout, a creative slump, seasonal blues, or just feeling stuck, this episode is for you. Kat gets real about the challenges she faced this past winter, including some big personal changes, and shares the honest unglamorous things that helped her climb back out: taking care of her body, dropping what was not serving her, shifting her mindset ar...

You Don't Have to Choose Between Making Art and Building a Career. James Miille Proves It. Photographic artist James Miille has shown work in New York, Paris, Miami, and Mexico City, built two companies, and never stopped making the art that started it all. In this episode he pulls back the curtain on how he actually does it. James creates surreal composite photographs entirely from scratch, every...

You invest in a mentor, a course, or a new skill, and instead of feeling excited, you feel exposed. You see the artist you admire and wonder if you will ever get there. Your ego wants you to quit before you even start. Sound familiar? This week Ekaterina gets honest about her own experience of evolving, trying new things in the studio, shifting her art, and the vulnerability, self-doubt, and resis...

Emily Jeffords is back on The Create! Podcast and this one is for every artist who is quietly wondering if there is a better way to do this. Emily is a painter, educator, and founder of the Making Art Work program - and she brings a level of honesty to this conversation that is genuinely rare. We talk about what it looks like to be in an "incubation year," the bravery it takes to begin again after...

Most artists wait for the art world to invite them in. Daniel Arsham stopped waiting - and built his own gallery at 21 instead. In this episode, Kat sits down with Daniel Arsham, one of the most sought-after artists of his generation, to talk about his brand new book Future Relic - a brutally honest handbook written for his 17-year-old self who dreamed of being an artist but had no roadmap to get...

What does it mean to call yourself an artist - and who gets to decide? In this episode, I sit down with multidisciplinary artist, educator, and author Lisa Solomon for a wide-ranging conversation about the blurry line between art and craft, creative experimentation, and the practical realities of building a sustainable creative life. Lisa's work spans embroidery, fiber, painting, and installation,...

If you've ever felt like you had to hide certain parts of yourself to be taken seriously in the art world, this one is for you. I'm sitting down with my dear friend Marina Granger, founder of The Artist Advisory and host of the brand new MFA Podcast, for a candid conversation about what it really takes to step into your next level as an artist - from the inside out. Marina spent years working at t...

  What happens when you feel outside pressure to make work that doesn't feel like you? In this episode, Kat sits down with Philadelphia-based artist and curator Jessica Libor for a deeply honest conversation about identity, persistence, and building a creative life on your own terms. Jessica shares the story of applying to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts several times before getting in,...

What does it actually take to build a sustainable, global art career in 2026? As the market shifts away from the high-octane speculation of the early 2020s, a new era of radical transparency and artist autonomy is emerging. In this episode, host Ekaterina Popova sits down with visionary curator, collector, and entrepreneur Sonia Borrell to pull back the curtain on what the world's top collectors a...

What if I told you that making art literally changes your DNA? In a world that often treats creativity as a luxury or a hobby, the data is finally catching up to what artists have always felt: art is essential medicine. In this episode, Kat sits down with Daisy Fancourt , a professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at University College London, whose groundbreaking research provides the "validat...

In this episode, host Kat (Ekaterina Popova) is joined by painter Emi Avora, a London-trained and Singapore-based artist whose work blends architectural structure with lush, dreamlike abstraction . Drawing from her upbringing in Greece, Mediterranean light, mythology, and lived experiences across cultures, Emi creates immersive interiors that feel both opulent and quietly haunting . www.emiavora.c...

What happens when you stop obsessively planning and trying to control the outcome in the studio and start letting your subconscious lead the way? In this episode of the Create! Podcast, host Ekaterina Popova chats with August Vilella , a self-taught artist whose intuitive approach has landed his work in Art Basel and major galleries across Asia and Europe. August reveals how he abandoned sketches...

In this episode, I reconnect with Sharone Halevy nearly a year after our collector talk at Superfine (now The Superfair) in San Francisco. Sharone is an abstract expressionist painter who's built her entire practice around commission work and selling directly to collectors without gallery representation. We discuss her transition from theater directing to painting, why she works on sliding scales...

In this episode, Kat addresses the familiar "January tension"—the conflict between feeling ambitious about new goals while simultaneously exhausted from the past year. She explores what "sustainability" actually means for artists, moving beyond the buzzword to examine what emotionally and financially supports a creative career. Kat shares insights from Vadim Zeland's book Reality Transurfing , dis...

Welcome back to a brand new season! In this solo episode, Kat reflects on nearly a decade of navigating a full-time art career and the subtle traps that can stall creative growth. If you have ever felt busy but unfulfilled, or found yourself saying "yes" to every group show and opportunity out of a fear of missing out, this episode is for you. Kat discusses the concept that "good is the enemy of g...

In this magical start to the new year, host Kat sits down with her dear friend—psychic medium, curator, and author Sarah Potter . As we step into 2026, Sarah shares wisdom from her life-changing new book, Sober Magic: Using the Tarot and Ritual in Your Journey Away from Drinking . Together, they explore the deep intersection of art and spirituality, discussing how to navigate the "party culture" o...

In this special bonus episode of the Create! Podcast , Kat (Ekaterina Popova) sits down with artist and curator Victoria Fry, founder of The New Visionary Art Collective, for a grounded and nourishing conversation about creativity, intuition, and building a sustainable creative practice and career. Together, they explore the importance of making art for pleasure separate from career expectations,...

In this solo episode of the Create! Podcast, host Ekaterina Popova explores why maintaining a personal art practice is essential not only for artistic growth, but for mental and nervous system regulation, resilience, and overall well-being. Whether you are a professional artist navigating deadlines or a creative seeking to reconnect with your practice, this episode breaks down the neuroscience beh...

In this episode of the Create! Podcast, Ekaterina Popova sits down with Anna Denning, a multimedia artist and the founder of the NeuroArts School, to decode the powerful science behind creativity and healing.  Anna shares her fascinating background—growing up with a psychotherapist mother who used drawing to analyze and soothe emotions—and how that evolved into her expertise in "Neuroesthetics," t...

In this insightful conversation, Kat sits down with celebrated realist painter, author and educator Todd M. Casey . Known for his bestselling books The Art of Still Life and The Oil Painters' Color Handbook , Todd opens up about the winding road that shaped his artistic life, from studying at MassArt to discovering the atelier system and developing a deep appreciation for classical training. He sh...

In this episode of the Create! Podcast, Kat sits down with painter and creative mentor Felicia Forte for a deep and refreshing conversation on creative flow, intuition, burnout, and finding your true pace as an artist. Felicia shares how she moved through a major creative block, rebuilt her relationship with painting, and allowed a slower, more intuitive rhythm to guide her back to the work. She s...

In this episode of The Create! Podcast, host Kat (Ekaterina Popova) sits down with creative visionary Amy Griffith. Best known for founding the iconic pink Eaton House Studio in the UK, Amy shares the journey behind her latest, soul-stirring project: The Star Seed House in Marrakesh, Morocco. Amy opens up about the massive transition from creating a playful, celebrity-favorite party house in Essex...