The Creative Kind

In this episode, I'm joined once again by Amanda Billing, who has completed several 100 Day Projects over the years. This time, she reflects on what happened when she spent 100 consecutive days working with clay, why she invited a community of artists to join her, and what she learned from watching dozens of people move through the same experience. We talk about why the 100 Day Project can be used...

Sam Michelle and Deb McKenzie met more then a decade ago when they were both given studios in a shared space through their framer. What started as five or six days a week working alongside each other quietly became one of the most important relationships in both their practices. In this conversation we talk about what it means to have someone who genuinely gets it, not just the excitement of a new...

Most artists know the Affordable Art Fair exists. What it's actually like to be there as an artist, on the floor, in the booth, talking to strangers about your work for four days straight, is a different story. Georgia Huestis is the Fair Director of the Affordable Art Fair in Australia, with Fairs in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and she was so generous with information this week in our chat. In...

What if standing in front of a work of art actually changed it? That's the question at the heart of this conversation with Harriet Schwarzrock, an Australian glass artist who captures plasma inside blown glass vessels that respond to your presence. Move closer, and the light shifts. Touch the surface, and it intensifies. The viewer literally becomes part of the circuit. Harriet is a doctoral candi...

Today on The Creative Kind, I’m talking to artist Lucy Hersey, who lives and works in South Gippsland, Victoria, creating paintings made from earth pigments she gathers and processes by hand. Lucy’s work is deeply connected to landscape, not just visually, but materially. She collects clays, rocks, and natural pigments from the land around her and turns them into paint, creating works that are lit...

In this episode of The Creative Kind , I’m joined by Jasmine Kroeze and Petrina Jose for a conversation about pivoting, what it really looks like to change direction creatively, professionally, and personally. We talk about how Jasmine moved from fashion and textile design into mural work, why Petrina stepped back from painting to rebuild her branding business, and how both of them navigate t...

In this episode, I'm joined by three of the women behind Sunny Studios : painter Rachael Mayne , artist Hannah Radford, and interior stylist Julia Fowler , to talk about what it really looks and feels like to build and sustain a shared creative space. We talk about how they found their large originally unglamorous space and why that was actually a smart move. What I hadn't expected going into this...

This week I'm talking to Col Mac, a Brisbane-based interdisciplinary artist whose practice is grounded in painting but regularly extends into text, sculpture, and installation. His work explores time, place, memory, and history. Col has been a finalist in the Archibald Prize and the Brisbane Portrait Prize, with work featured in The New York Times and the Washington Post. In this conversation we'r...

In this episode, I'm joined by West Australian painter Wendy Marinich . We discuss what it actually looks like to build a body of work when you're in the middle of figuring it all out. Wendy came to painting a few years ago, after careers in floristry, catering, and working as a pasta maker at a well-known Perth restaurant. In that relatively short time, she's developing a practice that has a cohe...

Today I'm talking with sisters Kass and Lauren Hernandez, the fibre artists behind Crossing Threads . This was an interesting conversation about what creative strategy actually looks like in practice; the real, week to week decisions that go into building a sustainable creative practice. Kass and Lauren are first generation Australians of Filipino heritage, living and working on Wangal and Gadigal...

Sophie Vander is back, and this time we're going straight to your questions. Since Sophie's first appearance on the podcast back in August 2024, I have had a lot of follow up questions come in- it seems you had so much more you wanted to hear from her. So did I! Sophie is the founder and director of Curatorial+Co, a Sydney-based contemporary art gallery and consultancy on William Street in Woolloo...

In this episode I’m talking with painter Alyssa Monks about how feedback, both internal and external, shapes an artist’s work and confidence. We explore what kinds of critique have helped her over her career and how she learned to distinguish useful feedback from noise. Alyssa shares how critical comments that bother you can sometimes be the most revealing. We also dive into the psychological side...

In this episode, I’m joined by artist and writer Diana Weymar, whose practice involves textiles, language, and collective participation. Diana is best known for the Tiny Pricks Project, an ongoing body of embroidered text works responding to political language, poetry, and cultural moments. We talk about what it means to make and share work when the world feels overwhelming, and how artists d...

In this episode, I’m joined by landscape painter Debbie Mackenzie, who lives and works on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. Debbie shares how her paintings grow out of the places she spends time in, and how her ideas evolve naturally as she works toward a solo exhibition. We talk about what it means to build a body of work rather than individual paintings, and how each piece can influence the next....

In this episode, I’m joined by Sydney based curator, writer, and artist mentor Amber Creswell Bell to talk about what it really means to be an artist right now, particularly in a slower market. Amber brings a broad perspective from working closely with emerging artists, running a national art prize, curating exhibitions, and spending years inside the commercial gallery system. We discuss what arti...

n this episode of The Creative Kind , I sit down with artists Fleur Woods and Hannah Jensen Fox to talk about the impact and significance of art workshops. Fleur, a fiber artist and paint carver Hannah, share their experiences teaching workshops and how these sessions have benefited their practices and personal growth. We explore the dynamics of workshops, the invaluable connections and community...

To mark the end of the year, I asked past guests of The Creative Kind to share one artwork that stayed with them in 2025. Something that made them pause, something that lingered. What came back were personal reflections on paintings, sculptures, installations, exhibitions, and moments of seeing art that surprised, unsettled, comforted, or quietly shifted something. Some guests spoke about a single...

In this episode, we explore the theme of experimenting and how it shows up across different art practices and life stages. Featuring returning guests Laura Brinin, Robyn Rich, Jenni Stringleman, Kate Owen, Ashley Longshore, and Salma Price-Nell, we look at the many ways artists approach play, curiosity, and taking creative risks. Across these conversations, we discuss what experimentation looks li...

In today’s episode, I’m talking with Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, the mind behind Jerry Gogosian, about the current state of the art market and the realities artists are facing right now. We discuss the recent market correction, how quickly prices can rise and fall, and what that means for artists whose work becomes tied to hype cycles. Hilde talks openly about dramatic price fluctuations, pricing as...

In this episode of the Creative Kind, I’m joined by New York-based mixed media artist Ashley Longshore. Known for her larger-than-life personality and equally bold pop-infused paintings, Ashley’s work collides Hollywood glamour, consumerism, and cultural icons. Ashley discusses her defiance of the traditional art world by building her own company to avoid the standard 50% gallery cut, stating that...

In this episode I’m talking to Melbourne based miniatures artist Robyn Rich, whose work captures intimate, tiny worlds in reused and recycled objects. We talk about what it’s like to create art while living with chronic illness, and how limitations have shaped both her practice and her perspective. Robyn shares how art became a way to find her voice, to connect with others, and to make sense of he...

In this episode, I sit down with Jenni Stringleman and Frank Gordon to talk about painting, illness, and the practical realities that shape an artist’s work. Jenni shares how her ovarian cancer was discovered, and how it’s changed the pace and priorities of her studio life. Jenni chatted about how that experience changed her priorities: she moved quickly to paint what she wanted to paint, red...

In this episode I speak with Kate Owen about the process of finding your market as an artist. Kate shares how trial and error has shaped her approach, from choosing the right galleries to refining the way she communicates with collectors. She talks about the importance of asking questions, and recognising when a particular avenue isn’t the right fit. We also look at the practical tools that suppor...

In this episode of The Creative Kind I speak with Laura Brinin from Side Gallery in Brisbane, who also works at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Laura shares insights into what it really means to approach a gallery, from making contact in a thoughtful and personal way to understanding what galleries actually do for artists. She talks about the importance of fit, the role of community and the...

In this episode I chat to Salma Price- Nell, also known as the Salsa Creative. Salma is a UK-based Cape Malay, South African artist and parent. We delve into the challenges and intersections of motherhood and maintaining an art practice. Salma discusses her primary medium of ink on paper and how her artwork, which often features organic forms like trees, has evolved since becoming a mother. We tal...