Artsy Ambition

Summary You're scrolling Instagram. Someone's shop is sold out. Their feed looks effortless. They have thousands of followers. And you think: I should be further along. What am I doing wrong? Here's the thing—you're comparing your chapter one to their chapter twenty. And that comparison isn't just unfair. It's holding you back. In this episode, Kathleen explores why comparison feels so inevitable...

Summary The moment a stranger—someone who doesn't love you, doesn't owe you anything, has no reason to be kind—looks at what you made and decides it's worth their money? That moment changes everything. It's not just about the dollars. It's about legitimacy, possibility, and what you learn about yourself and your work that no book or podcast can teach you. In this episode, Kathleen walks through wh...

Summary When was the last time you let yourself fully imagine what you want, without immediately listing all the reasons it won't happen? Somewhere along the way, many of us stopped dreaming. We learned to protect ourselves from disappointment by expecting nothing. But what if we flipped the script? In this episode, Kathleen explores what happens when we let ourselves ask "what if it works?" inste...

36: Side Hustle or Sanctuary? Should You Monetize Your Hobby? Summary "You should sell these!" "Have you thought about starting an Etsy shop?" "You're so talented—you could make money doing this!" Sound familiar? In our productivity-obsessed culture, there's constant pressure to monetize our hobbies. But should you? In this episode, Kathleen gets honest about what monetizing your creative hobby ac...

Summary You wake up already behind. The to-do list is longer than the hours in the day. You fall into bed exhausted and wake up to do it all again. And in the middle of all this chaos, there's this little voice saying, "I miss creating. I miss having something that's just mine." But when? How? In this episode, recorded from a hotel room during a work trip, Kathleen shares how to maintain your crea...

It's evening, everyone's finally in bed, and you should be able to relax. But your brain won't stop. The racing thoughts, the tight chest, the constant hum of worry underneath everything you do. If you've noticed that your anxiety quiets when you're stitching, that the repetitive motion helps you breathe again, that working with your hands brings you back to the present moment—there's actually a r...

Summary You've tried to establish a creative routine a dozen times, and every time it feels like just another thing on your to-do list. What if the problem isn't your discipline—it's that you're thinking in terms of routines when you need rituals instead? In this episode, Kathleen explores the difference between routines (which are about efficiency) and rituals (which are about meaning)—and why th...

Summary Scrolling through Instagram craft rooms with perfect lighting and organized supplies can make you feel like you need a dedicated studio to be a "real" artist. But here's the truth: some of the most beautiful, meaningful creative work happens on kitchen tables, in corners of bedrooms, on couches with kids nearby. In this episode, Kathleen shares how she's run her embroidery business from he...

Being touched out is real, exhausting, and rarely talked about in creative spaces. In this episode, Kathleen gets honest about what it's like to maintain a creative practice when you're physically and emotionally depleted—and why creativity might be exactly what you need in those hardest moments. You'll discover why embroidery can actually help regulate your nervous system when you're overstimulat...

Summary The average person picks up their phone 96 times a day. We're scrolling, comparing, consuming—and wondering why we're all so exhausted. In this episode, Kathleen explores why choosing a slow hobby in our fast-scroll world is actually a radical act of self-care, and how slowing down might be the most productive thing you do all week. You'll discover the science behind why repetitive creativ...

Think you need hours of uninterrupted time to be creative? This episode will change your mind. Kathleen shares why waiting for "enough time" keeps you stuck, and how five-minute creative practices can transform your relationship with creativity as a busy mom. You'll discover six practical rituals that fit into your real life—from passenger seat stitches to scribble drawing play—plus the exact stra...

Feeling the holiday pressure already? Between Pinterest-perfect expectations and everyone else's Instagram highlights, it's easy to feel like you should be doing more. But what if "special" doesn't mean elaborate or expensive — what if it just means heartfelt? In this episode, Kathleen shares her own journey from holiday burnout to handmade joy, and gives you permission to do the holidays differen...

Feeling stretched too thin? Resentful of commitments you said yes to? This episode is about the boundaries that will change your creative life. Kathleen shares her own journey from saying yes to everything (and burning out) to learning how to protect what actually matters — including her creative time, her family, and her energy. This isn't about being selfish or unavailable. It's about being inte...

After the Sip & Stitch event, Kathleen kept hearing the same question: "How can I make more personalized embroidered gifts?" This episode is the answer. She's introducing new Canva templates designed to take the guesswork out of creating custom embroidered pieces — with seven embroidery-friendly fonts, sizing guides for different apparel sizes (newborn through 4T+), and six adorable embellishm...

Summary I just hosted my first in-person Sip & Stitch event at Park Cafe, and now I’m sharing all the heartwarming, behind-the-scenes moments from the experience. From the magic of watching strangers become friends over embroidery hoops, to the invaluable teaching insights she gained, to gratitude for the people who make it all possible — this episode is a love letter to community and creativi...

Been away from your embroidery hoop (or any creative practice) and feeling guilty about it? This episode is your permission slip to start again — without the shame, without the pressure, and without believing you're back at square one. Kathleen shares why stopping and starting is a natural creative rhythm, not a character flaw. She explores how to make peace with the cycle of stepping away and ret...

Show Notes: Monday through Friday, Kathleen works her full-time marketing job and manages early kindergarten mornings, school pickups, dinner, and bedtime routines. Her weekdays are maxed out. So when does she build her creative business? Weekends. And it's not what you might think. In this honest episode, Kathleen pulls back the curtain on what it's really like to pursue a creative dream when you...

Show Notes: You love sharing your work, but showing your face? That's a whole different story. Kathleen gets it—she could post embroidery hoops all day, but putting herself in front of the camera makes her stomach drop. But something changed when she joined the Gary Vee x Stan Store challenge and heard one directive that shifted everything: "Nothing is more niche than you." In this vulnerable epis...

"Mommy, can I help?" Those four words can spark instant panic when you're in the middle of your creative work. Do you say yes and risk things getting messy? Or say no and feel guilty? This week while prepping boxes for a sip and stitch event, Kathleen's kids wanted to help—and she had to make a choice. In this heartfelt episode, Kathleen shares what happened when she said yes to crooked stickers a...

Show Notes: Do you automatically reach for your phone every time you have a free moment? You're not alone—and it's not your fault. In this episode, Kathleen shares a personal story from a recent road trip that completely changed how she thinks about screen time. Instead of scrolling for hours, she stitched a denim jacket—and the difference in how she felt was remarkable. This conversation isn't ab...

Feeling like you're perpetually behind where you "should" be with your creative business? In this vulnerable episode, Kathleen Lyons examines the powerful stories we tell ourselves about being behind — and why they're not actually true. From the comparison trap of social media to the myth of the straight-line path, discover why the "behind" narrative is stealing your joy and how to rewrite it. Thi...

Show Notes: Feeling discouraged because your creative business isn't growing fast enough? In this vulnerable episode, Kathleen Lyons gets honest about almost walking away from her embroidery business because progress felt too slow — and why that would have been a mistake. From the pressure to achieve overnight success to the hidden wisdom of gradual growth, discover why slow progress might actuall...

In this episode, Kathleen opens up about her recent craft show experience – from the nerve-wracking prep to the unexpected lessons learned when taking her online embroidery business into the real world. What You'll Hear: The decision to apply for her first craft show and why it felt so scary Behind-the-scenes prep work (spoiler: lots of spreadsheets and Target runs) Real moments from show day – bo...

What if your "imperfect" work is exactly what someone else needs to see? In this encouraging episode, Kathleen Lyons challenges the myth that you need to wait until you're "good enough" to share your creative journey. From her first wonky embroidered mushroom to the transformative power of honest creative sharing, discover why learning in public isn't just brave — it's necessary. This episode will...

What if your platform isn't measured in followers, but in the sacred space where you create? In this heart-stirring episode, Kathleen Lyons reframes what it means to have influence and impact as a creative person. From the rocking chair where she first picked up embroidery to the kitchen tables where generations of women have made beautiful things, discover why your creative space — no matter how...