Art + Magic

I love stories that showcase versatility in how humans find their way to art and make it their job. K’era is definitely one of those stories! Considering art her “second act,” she started with a career PR and later found her way to fine art, design and textiles. We get into what that journey has entailed, the practical side of licensing and getting her products into stores, owning the title of art...

As I'm just completing a series of paintings that has taken me the longest and challenged me the most, I'm reflecting on what I had to do differently over these past eight months, what I've learned and what I'll be holding on to for the future. There's all kinds of tips in here, from weathering the pre-release feels to how to keep a long-term body of work cohesive. These lessons are applicable no...

Today’s guest is the amazing painter, illustrator and teacher, Lindsay Stripling (you might know her from her fabulous Lunch Club series on Instagram!). This is one of those conversations where we got to bounce around and touch on ALL of the things: style, social media, having studio practice, Lindsay’s story, the importance of boredom, story-telling, and so much more. I have to say, my absolute f...

We're back with another Q+A, and this one's loaded with practical realness. I talk about how to manage the financial unpredictability of a creative career, what do about deadlines and commissions when you're burnt out, how to overcome a fear of sharing your work, the artists I look to as examples of a healthy work/life balance, and lots of other fun stuff like what I'm reading and the point in tim...

I’m super excited to get into the nitty gritty of navigating large-scale projects: from building the right portfolio and going after opportunities, to the process itself. This is all of particular interest for me because I’ve found that, beyond selling paintings to collectors, this aspect of being a working artist can seem especially mysterious. I couldn’t have asked for a better guest to bring su...

The demand for content v. the pace of our process, the ever-changing algorithm, and questions about if growth on Instagram is even possible anymore-- I think these topics are on all of our minds right now. And I know so many of us are asking if investing our time into social media even worth it. In this deep dive episode I share my thoughts on the topic, how I'm dealing with Instagram in its curre...

This is an extra special episode for me because working with Pennylane Shen over the past year has been a game changer for my art practice. Pennylane is an artist consultant, and she’s really one of the good ones out there providing support to artists who want to strengthen their work, develop their business, write their artist statement and much more. I loved getting to steal her for an hour to a...

As working artists and/or aspiring ones, we tend to have a lot of questions about how people have made this gig sustainable, and what their path has looked like.  In this episode, Gracelee Lawrence provides a lot of those answers by giving us a generous look into her own behind-the-scenes. Not to mention, some very rich commentary on gatekeeping in the art world, commercialization, accessibil...

If you’ve felt the need to overproduce work (particularly by Instagram), work at an unnatural pace or race to improve,  this episode will be salve for your studio practice. This conversation with Soleé felt just like two artists chatting over tea, because it was so honest and soothing. We unpacked dilemmas around scheduling studio time, being self-taught, chasing after a “career” (and what th...

Feel daunted by the commitment, consistency and delayed gratification required to create a series? I think that's very common. And I'm in the thick of it myself! Which is why I wanted to talk about why creating a body of work is so important for your artistic growth (and smart for your career), as well as the 7 things I've found to be most helpful within the process. This is a fun topic because, t...

If your inner critic has been extra loud or you've been feeling disconnected from who you are as an artist and what you're making, this deep dive is for you. I unpack  all things self-doubt, why artists are so susceptible to and what I've found to be most helpful when navigating it. Even if you feel okay in the inner critic department, there's some good discussion here about knowing your arti...

If you don’t already know Lauren Hana Chai, I’m honored to be the one to introduce you to her because her work is brilliant. I had a ton of fun connecting with her and we hit on a lot of ground in this conversation: the ins and outs of how she’s arrived at the work she’s making now, all about her show last year at Thinkspace (from making the connection to the prep itself), how she manages her inco...

Season 3 is finally here! And we’re kicking things off with one of the most transparent episodes I’ve aired yet (Really though. This one’s on the vulnerable side for me.). My good friend Amanda Sandlin joins me in co-hosting a conversation about the big “artist myths” that’ve haunted her and I over the years. Amanda has been such a supportive, bright light for me these past months (not to mention...

I can’t believe we’re even here right now. So I thought I’d honor the moment by divulging the details of my art life from this past year. It’s a bit vulnerable to share what I’ve been doing in real-time, but I think there’s some good lessons here. In this episode I share what happened, what I’m celebrating, what I would’ve done differently in 2020 and the takeaways I’m carrying into 2021. And I’m...

How do we break away from our influences? How do we come up with something totally original out of thin air? Hasn’t everything already been done? All valid questions that I had a ton of fun answering on today's q + a all about style development. I discuss the concept of “originality," as well as the four main reasons artists have a hard time cultivating their own style and practical things you can...

Today I have a super real talk for you all about the realities of working your way into being a full time artist (one of our favorite topics here-- I know!).  Our guest of honor is Marisa Avila-Sayler. Marisa has been an artist and navigating the journey of being full time for 20 plus years. As such she brings a refreshing dose of realness when it comes to the practicalities of being a workin...

Taylor Lee Nicholoson is BACK and I’m honored to have her be the first return guest on our show. It’s no coincidence that I keep coming back for convos with this woman-- she puts a ton of thought and intention behind her process and the evolution of her work, and it shows. This time around we’re diving into all things sculpture, performance, anxiety as a playmate, pivoting your business model as n...

DAN LAM . What a pinch-me-moment it was to have her on the show. SO many interesting topics got touched on in this conversation: how and why beauty is easily dismissed in art, Dan’s thoughts on a recent negative comment and the issue of gatekeeping in the art world, the stigmas she’s protesting (like fun! and psychedelic use!), how she’s dealt with copying, advice for creating strong work and tons...

I’ve been wanting to weave plant medicine and psychedelics into the conversation for a while now and I can’t think of someone I would’ve rather done this with than Erin Loree (who’s luscious abstract paintings are to DIE for, by the way). I’m eternally grateful for her openness and wisdom. Not to mention, I had the BEST time talking with her. In our conversation, Erin shared about what it’s been l...

In this first Q+A, we're talking all things career advice, winding roads, navigating multiple gigs while being highly sensitive and much more.  If you're itching to make the leap from day job to artist or want advice on how to fast track your growth and progress, I think you'll find solace in this discussion. You'll also get the behind-the-scenes of my own (non-linear and highly risky) path t...

As an astrology fanatic myself, I’ve been dying to bring you an episode where creativity and meets the stars. In this episode, astrologer, writer and artist, Emmalea Russo, shares how she sees astrology as an art in and of itself. We also discuss how she approaches astrology through a lens of divination, and the areas of the birth chart that are particularly ripe with creative fodder (my favorite!...

I invited Jaclyn to be on the show not just because she’s one of my best IRL art friends, but because she’s a wonderful example of how to make a living as an artist by diversifying your offerings and income streams. Jac has embraced the fact that she loves so many styles, projects and mediums, and made that work FOR her. From live art and wedding invitations, to chalk board signs and digital art,...

I kind of pinched myself when Maya agreed to this interview.  I first came across Maya Freelon with the release of her Art on Fire video, which she released in response to the murder of George Floyd (and countless other black lives). I then rapidly dove into her colorful world of tissue paper artwork, and became fascinated with her messages and the deep history behind her medium. In this conv...

If you’ve been wondering how someone might make the leap from their day job and land celebrity buyers and big time collaborations while being wildly unapologetic in following their joy, look no further than this conversation I had with artist and designer, Rachel Burke of @imakestagram. I loved getting the back story on her unique, nostalgic and joyful creations and the long journey she’s been on...

I found that what Lanecia shared about choosing life, moving through grief, being honest and claiming art for herself was exactly what I needed to hear in this moment.  I’m in love with the depth of thought behind her work (which you’ll get to hear!) as well as her perspective on the ways art makes us better humans in the world. We talked about… -- How Lancia creates with patience and mindful...