Process Over Product

In this episode of Process Over Product, artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp explore the long-standing question of skill versus talent in artistic practice. They discuss how talent is often perceived as an innate ability, while skill is built through repetition, study, and sustained effort over time. The conversation looks at how these ideas shape expectations around artistic growth, and ho...

In this episode of Process Over Product, artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp discuss the process of inventory and documentation in the studio. Following the recent flood in Trevor’s studio, he shares the experience of cataloging and assessing the work, materials, and objects that make up a studio practice. What began as a necessary response to disruption becomes a broader conversation about...

In this episode of Process Over Product, artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp discuss workshops—why artists take them, what they actually offer, and whether they are worth the investment. They explore what workshops can provide beyond technical instruction: exposure to new ways of seeing, immersion in focused time, and the value of learning inside a temporary community of working artists. Th...

After taking a week away, Process Over Product returns with a conversation about the importance of seeing art in person. Artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp reflect on recent visits to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Pissarro exhibition at the Denver Art Museum, discussing what happens when work is encountered directly rather than through reproduction. From there, the conversation e...

In this episode of Process Over Product, artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp take a direct look at the fear of failure and how it operates inside a real studio practice. They define what failure actually means for artists, where fear tends to show up in the making process, and how it often disguises itself as hesitation, perfectionism, or avoidance. The conversation moves through the differ...

In this episode of Process Over Product, artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp talk about what happens when a studio is suddenly taken away. Trevor shares the experience of losing his studio to a flood, the immediate disruption to daily practice, and the uncertainty surrounding potential damage to years of work. The conversation moves through the emotional and practical realities of loss, int...

In this episode of Process Over Product, artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp take a practical look at artist block—what it is, when it shows up, and how it operates inside a real studio practice. They define artist block as a break in momentum rather than a lack of ideas, and talk through the specific moments it tends to appear: before work begins, in the middle of making, and after a piece...

In this episode of Process Over Product, artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp talk through what it really means to get artwork out of the studio and into the world. The conversation moves between internal and external realities of making: why showing work can feel vulnerable or complicated, who we are actually showing our work to, and how sharing work with other artists differs from sharing...

In this episode of Process Over Product, artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp focus on the actual, tangible actions that make up their studio practices. They talk about what “process” really looks like while making work — not as a fixed formula, but as a living rhythm shaped through repetition, reflection, and experience. The conversation explores whether process is something artists find or...

In episode 3 of Process Over Product, artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp explore how momentum is actually built in the studio—especially when you’re staring at a blank surface or trying to pull a big idea into motion. They talk through what goes into the creative thought process, how they generate and recognize usable ideas, and what they do when things go sideways mid-process. The convers...

In the second episode of Process Over Product, artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp confront imposter syndrome — the persistent voice of fear, doubt, and self-questioning that often surfaces in the studio. They unpack what that voice actually is, where it comes from, and how it shows up while painting, making, and trying to move work forward. Through personal stories and studio-level reflect...

In the first episode of Process Over Product, artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp introduce themselves and unpack what process means in their own studio practices. As painters, they discuss how process unfolds during the act of making, how it shapes decision-making, and why it matters more than outcomes. This conversation sets the foundation for exploring the uncertainty, labor, and thinkin...