BEYOND

divine love with srimati, aka julie piatt Jun 15, 2023

srimati is one of my heroines and i do not use that word lightly. i look to her often as a model of how to live a courageous, honest, spirit-led life. it was a tremendous honor to have this conversation with her.

srimati “has spent decades seeking the divine in all of her life experiences. living from a deep place of devotion, srimati is a living spiritual guide devoted to reminding others of their spiritual nature so that they too can experience the full presence of their existence.”

srimati is the author of the best-selling cookbooks, this cheese is nuts!, the plantpower way; italia and the plantpower way. she is also host to her own internationally acclaimed podcast, for the life of me with over 1,000,000 downloads in just two years. she is the founder of srimu artisanal not cheese and the spiritual community, water tiger.

“srimati is a mystic, mother, musician, artist, author and healer who is a powerful living example of how to love ourselves more so that we can live our unique design in full and expansive self-expression. when we live in this frequency, we bless all life around us.”

some things we talk about:

how to live from the heart instead of the mind
living as a sovereign being
how srimati begins and ends each day
our most important role in life
how to live all of life as a devotional journey
a gorgeous guided meditation and
our greatest superpower

may this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.

to listen to past episodes go to daphnecohn.com

the way of devotion with nina lombardo Jun 01, 2023

nina lombardo is a woman devoted.

it’s in the way she speaks and the way she moves, in what she teaches and what she lives. it’s in her body, her heart and her whole being.

“nina is a yogic intimacy teacher and wisdom keeper of the sacred feminine arts. she supports women in embodying their most authentic spiritual and sexual expressions so they can experience the soul-ravishing unions they crave with life, with their lovers, and with the divine” through her online programs, her one-on-one client work and in person-retreats.

all of her work is “informed through her unwavering devotion to her own inner practice” and her work in the world.

you will hear her devotion when you listen. you will feel her devotion in your body. and her devotion will awaken yours.

some things we talk about

the difference between romantic love and the love of the universe
her journey into free, unbridled self expression
devotion as the main driving force, as the anchor
how to meet the outer world while staying devoted to one’s inner truth
where physical desire meets spiritual desire
how we bring awareness into the body and
the marriage between discipline and surrender

may this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.

to listen to past episodes go here.

to read my most intimate writings on living a sensual, body-based life go here.

to receive weekly embodiment practices go here.

creating intimacy with allana pratt May 18, 2023

i first met allana pratt over 13 years ago when i interviewed her for a summit i was hosting on pleasure and sensuality. i loved her candor, kindness and deep devotion to her work.

allana is an intimacy expert, the podcast host of intimate conversations, and author of six books. she has interviewed whoopi goldberg and alanis morrisette, coached leeza gibbons on dancing with the stars and been featured on huffington post, people magazine, forbes, CBS, ABC, FOX, TLC, iHeartRadio, the GoodMenProject and more.

“for the past 20 yrs, allana’s brave willingness to heal her own heart and come home to herself makes her authentic, relatable and credible in her proven coaching programs and intimacy retreats. her wisdom, exuberance and raw transparency inspire the deep soul work required to create a solid intimate relationship with one’s self first, which naturally attracts and enhances an ideal open-hearted partnership that lasts. she’s a small town canadian girl living in rural wyoming who is honored to love the sh** out of humanity.”
some of the things we talk about in this conversation are:

creating an intimate relationship with the universe
how to choose joy in the face of pain and suffering
the portal back into the body
how allana healed herself after a very painful crisis
the first step to manifesting
the most potent vibration to send out to the universe

you can learn more about alana and her work at allanapratt.com and you can catch up on all past episodes at daphnecohn.com

radical wholeness with philip shepherd May 03, 2023

when i began reading radical wholeness by philip shepherd i cried. these words, this man. how did he put into words what was lining the insides of my soul? how did he know the answers to questions i’d held on to for years?

philip teaches embodiment but “unlike the prevailing view of embodiment which involves sitting in the head and ‘listening to your body,’ philip’s approach helps you listen to the world through the body. what the body most deeply understands is that it belongs to the world. what the body most deeply feels is the present. when we join its intelligence, we discover companionship in the world rather than alienation; we recognize guidance where before we saw only obstacles; and we ground ourselves in the security of being, rather than seeking to build security for ourselves with symbols of external value. ultimately, it’s about coming home to yourself.”

philip is the author of three books, new self new, new world, radical wholeness and deep fitness. he is the creator of the embodied present process which he teaches online and in workshops around the world.

philip is gently and powerfully shifting the way we are in the world. through practices and processes, he is teaching us how to be radically whole and live free.

he is one of the most masterful teachers i’ve encountered and it is a great honor to share my conversation with him.

some of the things we talk about

how to fill your emptiness forever
the center of stillness in the body
the only real security in life
what lies at the core of our suffering
how to know your purpose and
an extremely powerful yet simple tool for coming into the body and the present

to learn more about philip go here.

to catch up on past episodes of the BEYOND podcast go here.

awakening the feminine with rachel rossitto Apr 20, 2023

i don’t know how i found rachel rossitto but a handful of words on her website changed the way i understood myself in this world.

i had to know more.

rachel is a teacher, guide, mystic, and fairy of rose medicine. having devoted the last 16 years of her life to “studying temple arts, earth-based feminine wisdom, eastern spiritual philosophy and practice, plant medicine, energy healing, the way of tea, women’s holistic health and masculine and feminine healing and integration,” rachel has cultivated a deep practice of alchemizing pain into beauty and igniting women’s wisdom, creativity, sensuality, and power.

she practices a new paradigm of leadership that holds both softness and strength, born of the body and the breath, connected to the earth, inspired by the rose. her truth arises from a life lived in devotion, expressed through love and offerings.

this conversation with her continues to make ripples in my life. it has brought me a new morning practice and emboldened a new way of leading within me.

some of the things we talk about are:

leading in contrast to the culture – how to root in one’s own truth
the story of rachel’s spiritual awakening following 40 days of meditation
rachel’s morning tea practice
how to become a magnetic being that radiates beauty
the many facets and faces of the feminine

may this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is  your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.

you can learn more about rachel at rachelrossitto.com

you can learn more about daphne and all find all past episodes at daphnecohn.com

nadia bolz-weber on grace, leadership and the messiness of being human Jun 10, 2022

nadia is the author of three new york times bestselling memoirs, pastrix:the cranky, beautiful faith of a sinner and saint; accidental saints: finding god in all the wrong people, and more recently shameless: a sexual reformation. she is an ordained lutheran pastor and the founder of house for all sinners and saints in denver, colorado, a quirky congregation she served for over 10 years.

nadia travels domestically and internationally as a speaker and has been featured on NPR’s morning edition, on being with krista tippett, fresh air, CNN and in the washington post, bitch magazine, the new yorker and the atlantic. international media coverage includes BBC world service, the guardian and magazine features in germany, poland, and switzerland.

some things we talk about: having grace and compassion inside of the pain, the need to be seen as good, the amazingness and the limits of social media, making space for ambiguity, being a leader by going first and never doing it alone.

*this episode is a rebroadcast from the art & activism series in 2020

for all past episodes go to daphnecohn.com

daje james on essence liberation and creative courage May 27, 2022

when i think of daje, i think of power. wide-eyed, full-bodied power. the kind of power born of tension and tightness, emergence and transcendence. power that roots in the earth and spreads, like tendrils, through their poetry, song and space holding.

daje is “a storyteller, flower essence practitioner, and space-holder for wild-hearted leaders and creative entrepreneurs. she supports creatives in coming home to their true nature and self-initiating themselves into dharmic creative flow while boldly sharing their medicine with the world.”

daje is the founder of “brave school: an institute of dreaming,” creator of “wildboy apothecary” and author at “the story doula.”

may this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is  your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.

some things we talk about:

how to use creative courage to cultivate belonging
essence liberation and how we create wholeness
the catalytic moment that led to daje’s deep connection with spirit and self
3 questions for creating a new relationship with money
regenerative mysticism as a tool for awakening

for all past episodes go to daphnecohn.com

solocast: the stories that make up my song May 20, 2022

in this episode i share my stories: the stories that make up my song. stories that defy logic, go beyond rational thinking, and yet were the exact experiences i needed to understand my place on this earth and my work in this world. this is my most personal solocast. i hope you enjoy it.

you can listen to all past episodes with beautiful, amazing folks like lisa congdon, valarie kaur, david whyte, rob bell, michael franti, laura horn, and many more at daphnecohn.com

poet mandy kahn on the world-altering power of the peace mind May 13, 2022

in some way i am changed by every interview but then there are the ones that uproot my knowing and shift the soil below me. this is one of those interviews.

mandy is a poet, peace advocate and public speaker. her list of accolades and accomplishments is long. in brief (but hardly complete), mandy is the author of two collections of poetry, glenn gould’s chair and math, heaven, time, writer-in-residence at the philosophical research society, subject of a feature-length documentary, “peace piece: the immersive poems of mandy kahn,” and recipient of the 2018 shakespeare prize in poetry–other recipients include tom stoppard, ray bradbury and dana gioia.

mandy has given readings around the world, collaborates to make works that combine poetry and classical music, and offers a free weekly online class on the nature of peace.

mandy is a mystic and intuitive whose divine wisdom can truly change this world.

some things we talked about:

the world-altering power of peace
mandy’s health breakdown and how it led to surrender, god and a life of miracles
her earliest experiences as a mystic
what it looks like to live a life led by intuition
hope as a holy elevator
mandy’s exact process for writing poetry and how she maintains her connection to creativity

may this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is  your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.

you can listen to past episodes at daphnecohn.com

solocast: the courage it takes to be true May 07, 2022

in this episode i talk about the hardest thing when crafting your own life, singing your own song: fear. as elizabeth gilbert says, "creativity is a path for the brave, but it is not a path for the fearless. bravery means doing something scary." i talk about

the fear i live with every day
the truth of this journey
how to let your life speak
the terror, and freedom, in being vulnerable and
staying close to the way we are made

you can listen to previous episodes with amazing artists and makers at daphnecohn.com

anna lovind on telling the truth, the vulnerability backlash, and doing what's right Apr 29, 2022

anna is an edge walker. dancing with the wild. beckoning towards the unknown. digging into the unchartered to open eyes, shift sands, and create new. she is as wise as she is brave, as honest as she is strong. anna is a writer, creativity teacher and mother. she is the author of “the creative doer” and the founder of the creative doer community and ignite.

anna writes “about writing, feminism, learning to say (holy) yes and (fuck) no, sisterhood, motherhood, and her quest to re-define the creative path.

anna is a gift of a human and it is an honor to share her with you a second time on this podcast.

may this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is  your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.

some things we talk about:

the healing power of honesty and the vulnerability backlash
going against the business advice to follow what’s true
how to simplify, slow down and tune in
prioritizing inner work in order to do the outer work
dealing with fear and broadening your capacity for discomfort
doing the work that you are here to do no matter what

for all past episodes go to daphnecohn.com

solocast: creating a life that is yours Apr 22, 2022

in this episode i explore one of the most powerful questions i know: how do you use your creativity to craft a life that is yours? i talk about moving from domesticated adult to wild animal, going beyond your personal belief system, learning the language of your body, how to use your body as a tracking system to bring you home and specific strategies for singing your own song.

you can listen to previous episodes with amazing artists and makers at daphnecohn.com

carrie schmitt on devotion, destruction and liberation through art Apr 15, 2022

i first met carrie when i interviewed her for the podcast several years ago. her story of pain, loss and rebirth captivated me. her colorful paintings of flowers and women delighted me. her success as an artist intrigued me.

then we became friends and i fell in love with her passion for creativity, her devotion to the creative spirit and her wild, fierce questioning, soul. despite carrie’s heat allergy, which can drain her physically and emotionally, carrie is all light, painting beauty into the world.

carrie began painting after being diagnosed with a life-threatening heat allergy in 2009. “painting became a therapeutic practice and act of tenderness amidst the darkness. with time there was healing and the birth of my life as an artist.”

today carrie is a full-time artist, art retreat facilitator at her hōm: house of miracles, in steilacoom, wa, and author of “the story of every flower,” “painted blossoms: creating expressive flowers with mixed media,” and the children’s book, “a flower in her heart.” she licenses her art for stationary, home decor, clothing and other lifestyle products.

may this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is  your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.

SOME THINGS WE TALK ABOUT…

what it means to be a devotee of creativity
how creativity awakens you to the most alive and empowered version of yourself
transforming your relationship to creativity from fear or doubt to trust, love and divine guidance
what your art says about you
how destruction can be the most liberating part of the creative process
money, charging for our work and success in art
the power of naming and using your creativity to create your world

listen to all previous BEYOND episodes here

join illumine here

learn about carrie here

solocast: how to ask big questions & why it matters Apr 08, 2022

welcome to my first solocast. in this episode i talk about one of my greatest loves: questions. i share about hearing a voice that changed my life, how to ask big questions, why questions matter and how they bring us freedom.

you can join me and artists, writers, makers from around the world every day, monday through friday, for illumine: a free sacred creativity hour. you can learn more here.

you can learn about emerge, an embodied writing series, here. or {within}: a community for artists and makers here. and listen to all past episodes here.

thank you for listening.

emma freeman: on slow art, sobriety and spiritual awakening Apr 02, 2022

sometimes we have to go through the darkest nights to live into the lightest days.

emma was recovering from two serious health diagnoses when covid hit. within a month she was divorced, had closed her art store, and moved back in with her parents.

thus began a spiritual awakening that led to her getting sober, becoming a poet, finding buddhism and making art from the earth.

emma is a “queer contemplative artist, poet, teacher and facilitator connecting deeply with words, textiles, slow stitching … passionate about sharing the transformative healing powers that our imaginations hold, the gifts of slowing way down and the power of vulnerability and sensitivity to change our lives and this world.”

she is like a river that becomes an ocean: a gentle force, a quiet storm. emma thinks deep, asks big and reaches wide. she is a beautiful soul and i’m honored to be able to share her wisdom with you.

some of the things we talk about in this conversation are:

her story of getting divorced, moving home and getting sober
how her spiritual awakening radically transformed her art
the risk of vulnerability and how it changed her business
how emma changed her selling from “feeding capitalism” to meditation in action
the power of imagination as medicine for deep healing
emma’s art process of quiet contemplation, deep listening and sacred making

you can learn more about emma here

you can listen to past episodes and join us for illumine hour here

andrea scher: wonder seeker Dec 04, 2021

andrea is a wonder seeker.

she looks for it in the easy moments – a kiss, friends gathered together, traveling to other countries. and she looks for it in the hard moments – beset by anxiety, in the midst of divorce, struggling to stay afloat.

we talk about this – about turning towards the hard, making space for the all of it, in order to give wonder the breath and space to arise.

wonder is a habit, a skill, just like eating well, exercising, meditation or any other tool you use to stay sane and find your equilibrium. just like with any habit, it helps to have specific ways of cultivating it. in wonder seeker, andrea’s newest book, she offers 52 ways to discover wonder.

andrea is an artist, author and “a big believer in the transformative power of creativity.” she’s a photographer, author of an award-winning blog and several books including her latest one, “wonder seeker: 52 ways to wake up your creativity and find your joy,” teaches ecourses and retreats, and hosts the creative superheroes podcast.

may this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is  your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.

you can find the show notes to this episode and all other episodes over at daphnecohn.com

meggan watterson: doing your soul's work Nov 19, 2021

meggan is a feminist theologian. she writes about mary magdalene and the divine feminine. one could listen to this conversation and think, initially, that it is about religion, christianity and what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated theology.

but it isn’t.

it’s about soul work and having the courage to sit still and listen for what’s true. it’s about battling the doubts and fears to put into the world the voice you came here to speak. it’s about making your thing no matter the forces against it. and being the lighthouse for others, the ones “made of the same fabric,” to find you.

it’s about bravery and heart, honesty and perseverance.

some things we talk about:

working through panic attacks and intense doubt to write the work meggan’s here to write
the wisdom of the body and the power of living an embodied life
knowing your worth while doing your soul work
the deep need for the divine feminine
doing the hard work of going in to give to the world the truth of who we are

may this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is  your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.

you can listen to past episodes here

asia suler: everything is medicine Nov 04, 2021

asia is a writer, teacher and medicine woman who runs her own online apothecary and offers courses on intuitive plant medicine, business as a spiritual journey and the pussy portal.

when asia was a teenager she became ill with a chronic pain condition, vulvodinia. allopathic doctors told her there was no cure. they told her she would be in constant pain for the rest of her life unless they removed the nerve endings in her vulva. from somewhere deep inside asia heard a resounding “no.”

this was the beginning of asia coming to know the sound of her own voice and choosing to follow her own knowing.

this knowing led her into the woods. and the woods led her home.

some of the things we talk about in this conversation are:

how asia healed vulvodynia and lyme disease. twice.
asia’s exact process for writing in co-creation with nature
what to do when we feel like we don’t belong. and how to find belonging.
specific action steps to reignite your intuition and creativity through your pelvic bowl and
the importance of reciprocity with the earth and simple ways to practice it

you can listen to past BEYOND podcast episodes here.

mariana mae: the story we are here to tell on earth Oct 20, 2021

in the middle of my conversation with mariana, i broke down crying. i had to stop talking to gather myself, to find words again. it was, in part, in response to mariana’s words. but it was also in response to mariana herself.
mariana mae is an artist, visionary, founder of easy to breathe, unearth, and origen raíz, an “organization in alliance with Indigenous Nations of Mexico, Peru, and Guatemala, committed to amplifying the voice of cultural education, preservation and exchange.”
mariana has been working with clay since she was six and teaching pottery since 2013. she also guides women through ceremonial workshops to heal and strengthen their ancient, authentic, voices.
mariana’s work “highlights our ancestral, emotional wounds as tools, being in right relationship with the natural world, expressing our voice through song and cultivating creativity in celebration of the story we are here on earth to tell.”
mariana is a force of beauty, strength, and wisdom who is changing worlds by living true to her own.

some things we talk about:

her relationship to the spirit of clay and how it guides her life
choosing the unknown to follow the heart and spirit
the decolonization and deconditioning of cultural programming
choosing a more primitive life
practical steps for slowing down and living your greater vision

may this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is  your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.

you can find more episodes at daphnecohn.com

you can learn more about mariana at easytobreathe.com

jess scheer: the invisible world, dreams and becoming your own spiritual guide Sep 28, 2021

jess scheer is a business strategist who supports “indigenous leaders and earth keepers with a powerful vision for the world to bring their message to the masses.”

in this conversation, jess speak about many things. about the unshakeable stability of the inner world and our connection to all things. how she began to experience a deep peace while following what she most longed for. but more than anything i was struck by our conversation around dreams: the ones of the day from which we create new worlds and the ones of the night that guide our life direction and intuitive action.

we talk about:

connecting to the invisible world where spirit lies
how to deepen the connection to your roots, deep peace and inner freedom.
what to do when you are being called to go against everything you know
the power of day dreams to create the world you want to live into
how to tune into your night dreams as a source of spiritual guidance and intuitively-led action

you can learn listen to past episodes of BEYOND podcast here.

you can learn about jess here.

you can join the dream world program here and receive 10% off with the code BEYOND10 at checkout

ashley river brant: rituals to connect with earth, spirit and self Sep 14, 2021

ashley river brant is a “multi-dimensional artist, writer, teacher and bridge between worlds.” she is a “spiritual alchemist with a vision of bringing more beauty to this planet […] a mystic sharing the teachings of the otherworlds, a channel for Mother Earth.” her work is “about reconnecting you to your creative genius–the whole ecosystem of life swirling within you. guiding you home to your […] heart’s longings, burning desires, powerful intuition, and truth.” she is the author of tending to the sacred: rituals to connect with earth, spirit and self.

in this conversation we talk about

the four pillars of ritual and how we use them to create our own life
building courage to follow the inklings buried within
leaving what you know for what you most long to explore
the power of pleasure and the consequences of not prioritizing it
how to create your intention and get back into (or stay) living a creative life

connect with ashley river brant:

ashleyriverbrant.com
@ashleyriverbrant on instagram

connect with daphne cohn:

{within} community for artists, makers & writers
join my email list to know about upcoming events, workshops and podcast episodes
read my writing tuesdays and fridays here
follow all things daphne and {within} on instagram: @within.community

julia cameron on the listening path Jan 11, 2021

julia cameron has been changing lives all over the world since the artist’s way first came out in 1992. millions of people write morning pages and take artist dates - two of julia’s most well-known tools for finding your creativity and living out your truth. since then julia has gone on to author more than forty books, plays and works of poetry. she is commonly referred to as "the godmother" or "high priestess" of creativity. the artist's way has been translated into forty languages and sold over five million copies to date. in today’s conversation, julia and I explore the ideas and tools from her latest book, the listening path: the creative art of attention.

some things julia and I talk about:

on learning to listen after getting sober
the difference between listening with one’s intellect and with one’s heart
how to be obedient to what you hear
authentic listening
and the power of listening to remember who you are.

may it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.

for more interviews with artists and makers go to daphnecohn.com/podcasts

laura horn: the most powerful way to make your art and build a business Dec 21, 2020

there are so many ways we are taught to make art, to create a business, to live a life. laura horn shows us that the most powerful way to do any of those things is to do them as yourself: to make art that feels good, to build a business in alignment with your strengths and to live in deep acceptance of who you are.

after many years of fighting herself, laura embarked on the slow and steady path of acceptance. as trite as it sounds, it changed everything.

today laura is an abstract painter with a thriving online art business. thousands of creatives have taken her art courses, 135,000 follow her on instagram, her weekly podcast, “the laura horn art podcast” is loved by many, and her watercolor originals are almost always sold out.

all because laura decided that the only person she needed to be was herself and the only art she needed to make was her own.

some things we talk about:

losing her mom to cancer when laura was 21 and her resulting struggle with anxiety
trusting in ALL the nudges from the universe
letting what feels good be the driver behind every piece of art and every business decision
her path to self-acceptance and the power of honesty
the best business and art advice ever

valarie kaur: the power of revolutionary love Dec 07, 2020

when I first discovered valarie kaur, I cried. I cried watching her six-minute video that went viral and garnered over 40 million views. I cried reading her book “see no stranger: a memoir & manifesto of revolutionary love,” and I cried in our conversation as she shared her wisdom, heart, passion and love.

valarie is a seasoned civil rights activist and celebrated prophetic voice “at the forefront of progressive change.” she leads the revolutionary love project to “reclaim love as a force for justice in america.” she is a lawyer, filmmaker, and innovator who has been a regular tv commentator on MSNBC and contributor to CNN, NPR, PBS, the Hill, Huffington Post, and the Washington Post. she is the daughter of Sikh farmer’s from California’s hearltand and the author of “see no stranger.”

this conversation is one of my favorites from the series, “art, activism and the great unknown.” may it move you as much as it did me.

some things we talk about:

hearing her first racial slur
the revolutionary power of love
the voice of the little critic and the power of the wise woman
grief as a way to know each other
deep listening as an act of freedom
the need to listen and share our stories
and the labor of the revolution

you can hear more interviews with brave and experimental artists here.

you can follow all things BEYOND and my personal writing on instagram here.

elle luna: your story is your power Nov 30, 2020

we are born into a world heavy with shoulds, rights and wrongs. growing up in that world we forget that we have the power to change our world. we forget that just because people tell us what we should and shouldn’t do, we can imagine any way to be. and we can always choose our own way forward.

elle luna is a designer, painter, writer, and author of “the crossroads of should and must” and co-author of “your story is your power” with susie herrick. she facilitates a global art movement, #The100DayProject, and has previously worked as a designer at IDEO and with teams on apps and websites, including Medium, Mailbox, and Uber.

elle is here to remind us that who we are matters and that what we make is ours.

some things we talk about:

making real the thing you most long to see in the world
how to transform your story from broken to beautiful
the role of imagining and curiosity in creating your life
the phenomenon of the shadow artist
how to get to know your "shoulds" so they lead you to your "must"

you can learn more about other brave and experimental artists here.

and you can follow all things BEYOND and daphne cohn here.

rob bell: on staying curious, finding your joy and the miracle of the universe Nov 23, 2020

there are so many ways to be human. so many ways to look at what we have been given. so many ways to respond to a life. I turn to rob bell when I want to be a human filled with possibility, to look at what we have been given with joy, and to respond to life with wonder.

rob is a master creator who talks, writes, and teaches you how to say the thing you’re dying to say and do the thing you’re dying to do. he is a speaker, podcaster and author of ten books including several new york times bestsellers and his most recent, “everything is spiritual.” his podcast – the robcast – was named by iTunes best of 2015. he’s been profiled in The New Yorker, toured with Oprah and in 2011, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

rob is one of my heroes. he takes the hard, he turns towards the pain, and transforms it into a beautiful gift for us all.

some things we talk about:

finding your joy
the most brilliant response to fear. ever.
how to use your imagination to create the life you long to live
the miracle of the universe
stepping into the mystery and dancing with the unknown

mia birdsong on "how we show up: reclaiming family, friendship and community" Nov 16, 2020

in a time when covid physical distances us from one another, politics emotionally separates us, and an economy driven by individual success financially divides us, it can seem almost impossible to create what we most need to truly belong: community.

mia birdsong, pathfinder, activist, storyteller and author of “How We Show Up: reclaiming family, friendship and community” has devoted her life to creating and cultivating community not just because it feels good but because we need it. we need it because we are human. because we are interdependent creatures who rely on one another to survive. we need it because it’s through shared wisdom and experience that we can save what is failing and create what we are imagining. and we need it because, as much as creativity is a solo act, it comes from our shared existence.

mia has “a gift for making visible and leveraging the brilliance of everyday people so that our collective gifts reach larger spheres of influence, cultural and political change, and create wellbeing for everyone.”

and in this conversation mia brings her experience as senior fellow of the Economic Security Project, founding co-director of Family Story, vice president of The Family Independence Initiative, speaker at conferences and universities around the country and her Ted talk (viewed over 1.7 million times), to show us how we can use community to chart a new path forward.

some of what we talk about:

the american dream, toxic individualism and the power of community
what we value and why we better change it. now.
finding agency in spaciousness (and how to create more spaciousness in a busy life)
looking to the marginalized for freedom
and why you only have to do your part

may it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.

morgan harper nichols: how art and truth took her from paycheck-to-paycheck to influencing millions Nov 09, 2020

morgan harper nichols offers her art daily to her 1.6+ million instagram followers, via her podcast and her book of poetry and art, “all along you were blooming” and through her many collaborations with companies like coach, adobe, live nation, aerie and more.

in this conversation, we talk about going from paycheck to paycheck to a business with employees, two books, multiple partnerships and a massive social media following, the role of intuition in her art and life, staying the course and how she keeps herself inspired, dealing with doubt, healing differences and how she defines success at this point in her career.

you can listen to more conversations with brave and experimental artists and makers here

you can follow the host, daphne cohn, on instagram

david whyte: the art of being human Jun 29, 2020

listening to david whyte reminds me of something I had long ago forgotten. his words, written and spoken, feel like a homecoming. there is permission within them to lose oneself in the questions and the listening. to simply arrive at what is here, waiting for me. for us.

david calls this “the empty space beneath the breath where everything real emerges.”

david is a poet and a philosopher. he is the author of nine books of poetry and four books of prose, including his two most recent books, the bell and the blackbird and consolations: the solace, nourishment and underlying meaning of everyday words.

he is a speaker, teacher and writer. but more than anything, david is a man devoted to the mystery and expression of the soul. a man whose job in life is to “get it” and then to poetically, magically, beautifully, reveal it to us.

some things we talk about:

how to break the surface conversation and enter into the one that belongs only to you
sense of humor as a spiritual discipline
the role of the body in art and how to come into the traumatized parts from your past
what it means to be a “real artist”
being visible and vulnerable in your work and life

learn more about david, BEYOND, and other brave and experimental artists here: https://daphnecohn.com/

why bother? discover the desire for what's next with jennifer louden Jun 08, 2020

in this conversation with self-help pioneer and author of, "why bother: discover the desire for what’s next," jennifer louden talks about claiming your agency and knowing your work matters, how to know when to stop bothering and move on to something else? what to do when you don’t know what your desires are, how to keep choosing yourself over and over again and how to be vulnerable in your work and then share it with the world.

belonging, creativity and a pathway home with toko-pa turner May 11, 2020

there are those souls that are both soft and strong, wise and wide open. toko-pa is one of those souls.

when toko-pa was just 15 she ran away from a violent, destructive home life and found herself having to navigate “the system.” the next decade was a hard one as she figured out, on her own, how to become an adult in a complicated, often uncaring world. this was the beginning of her search for belonging.

this search has led her down many creative, beautiful paths and today she is the founder of dreamschool: weaving a living bridge to the otherworld as well as the author of the award-winning book belonging: remembering ourselves home. in toko-pa’s words, “in addition to tending dreams, my work focuses on restoring the feminine, reconciling paradox, elevating grief, and facilitating ritual.”

join us as we explore a pathway home.

some things we talk about:

how to start down the path of belonging to yourself and the world
when she lost sight of her creativity and how she came back to it
finding your own values and your own voice
her own creative process and how she gets to what is true
when it’s time to commit and when it’s time to let go (and how to tell the difference)
and cultivating a vision for your life in tune with your longing

you can learn more at daphnecohn.com or follow BEYOND on instagram @daphnecohn

the path to greatness: episode 4 of "who we might become" with jesh de rox Apr 13, 2020

in this episode of the ten-part series, "who we might become," joy researcher, jesh de rox, explains

what is joy, why it’s so important to creativity, and how to connect to it
how to respond to sadness and pain with a creative spirit
the path to greatness
and how we let go of what doesn’t serve us anymore in order to make what does

you can learn more about jesh and download the remaining seven episodes of this series over at daphnecohn.com

you can check out "within studio": a community with hands-on art workshops, live q & a's with well known artists, makers, and activists, open studios and monthly check-ins at daphnecohn.com

within studio is currently pay-what-you-can in response to covid-19 and all the financial uncertainty during this time.

and you can follow the BEYOND podcast over at instagram @daphnecohn

episode 2: who we might become with jesh de rox Mar 23, 2020

join joy researcher, jesh de rox, and I for part 2 of our ten-part mini-series “who we might become.” in this episode we explore how to see differently, create your own language and change the culture with your creativity. some things we talk about:

the seed of all creativity
the three stages of the creative process
the gift of enough and not enough
what it takes to become an artist who will actually produce change in the larger culture
why joy matters so much
and how to start breaking the rules and creating something new.

you can learn more about jesh and previous podcast guests over at daphnecohn.com

you can check out the pay-what-you-can "within studio" membership community at withincommunity.com. there are monthly live q & a's with artists and makers, bi-monthly creativity check-ins and weekly open studios. it's a chance to gather, make, love, laugh, play, and make some more.

and you can follow the BEYOND podcast over at instagram @daphnecohn

who we might become with jesh de rox: episode 1 Mar 16, 2020

jesh de rox, at heart, is an explorer. a man who has spent much of his life asking the big questions; the ones that help make sense of who we are and why we’re here. over the years, traveling the planet, immersing himself in experiences and conversations that test the boundaries of commonly accepted ideology and culture, jesh has become a very successful creative entrepreneur, thought leader, and business coach.

through his journey, jesh learned to shape and grow his businesses based on principles of joy and personal growth. his work has been featured in Vogue, Huffington Post, Elle, and Range Finder, to name a few, and he has an international client list that includes celebrities and world-class performers in many fields.

in this ten-part mini series, "who we might become," we dive deep into ALL things creative: permission and courage, social media and sharing, rejection and criticism, discovery and greatness, and ultimately, who we might become.

these are big topics and we go pretty deep with a lot of them. we visit, and revisit, many of them over the ten episodes (which I will be sharing weekly) so if at first some of it feels too deep or too vast, give it time. let it wash over you and slowly integrate into your being.

on being your own "right size" and making your own true thing with marlee grace Jan 27, 2020

marlee grace is a writer, a dancer, an artist, and a “shape maker.”

she has books on social media addiction and “how to not always be working.” she teaches and does creative advising. she has a podcast and a project called CENTER, “an experiment unfolding in space and time.”

she lives in a patriarchal, cisnormative, heterosexual-driven culture as a queer female artist constantly blurring the lines of the known and the unknown. she is not afraid to be many things and she is not afraid to share her truth in all of it.

here are marlee's thoughts on spinning out and getting calm, sharing truth, grappling with doubt and living in joy, and using all of it to find your own “right size.”

some things we talk about:

how she stays present and manages anxiety, obsessive thinking
on being honest about who you are even when that means losing those who follow you
how quitting drinking has informed her work
her daily “marlee maintenance” plan
making what’s most important to who you are

using art to create a sustainable planet for all with elaine su-hui Dec 02, 2019

with the world falling into chaos, it always lightens my heart to find artists and women like elaine. elaine is a rebel of the highest cause: rising up against the worst parts of a capitalist economy to bring about a more sustainable, peaceful life for all.

elaine’s studio, inner fields, is founded on the principles of deep ecology and buddhism. inner fields has two key wings: on one side are elaine’s prints, pigment drawings and works on paper; on the other side are her hosted listening and drawing communal events.

in all that she does, elaine brings sincerity, intention, awareness and love. as life seems to be getting busier, anxiety levels are rising and loneliness is at an all-time high, elaine is helping ease the pain and suffering of others through the use of natural materials, art that awakens, and “ephemeral art projects” that create community, connection, and change.

some things we talk about:

creating a sustainable art business in an unsustainable economy
using creativity to craft your own path and create your own way forward
art making that supports the world, the planet and the people on it
the philosophies that govern everything: her art, her work, and her life
dealing with doubt and fear as you step into all that you desire

to listen to more brave and experimental artists head on over to the creativity habit

and you can follow the creativity habit on instagram @daphnecohn

tender truth serum in human form with laurie wagner Nov 18, 2019

laurie wagner is an expert on telling the truth. it’s the way she writes, teaches, and lives.

there was a time early on in laurie’s success when the success began taking precedence over the truth. what the market wanted became more important than what her heart wanted. so she quit.

she left the public writing world behind – the world of book deals and magazine articles – to find her own words. she turned to teaching as a way of making money while writing privately to discover what really mattered.

in laurie’s words: “as my other friends who were in journalism got more deeply into writing the kinds of stories their editors were giving them I was going off trail and writing the kinds of stories that meant something to me and that’s where I found myself.”

today laurie teaches wild writing through weekly workshops in her home and online. she takes people on writing retreats around the world and she teaches people how to be teachers of wild writing. she is the author of seven books and her work has appeared in numerous publications including salon, glamour, the huffington post, and the san francisco chronicle.

she is a coach a teacher and a writer. but above all she is “tender truth serum in human form.”

some things we talk about:

how to get from “stuck” to “unstuck”
sage advice on creating your brand
how being authentic in your art changes your life (and vice versa)
when and how you invite your reader/viewer in
abandoning success in search of her personal truth

you can learn more about laurie at 27powers.org

you can explore more brave and experimental artists and makers at the creativity habit

how I built my entire career, and life, around one thought with brooke shaden Nov 04, 2019

this is world-renowned photographer, brooke shaden's, second time on the creativity habit podcast. in this conversation brooke shares how she built an entire career, and life, basing every decision on this one question: will this bring me, and others, maximum fulfillment? and she means EVERY decision.

in this conversation we talk about:

how to trust your voice above anyone else’s
saying, and making, what’s important (and how it can change your ENTIRE career)
how to practice bravery
the importance of aligning with your money mindset and sharing your art as a business

may it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.

for more episodes check out: the creativity habit

for female creators, activists, and magic makers with anna lovind Oct 21, 2019

when things were hard for anna as a child, and they often were, she disappeared into writing and reading. she left behind what was hard for a world that was hers. a world where she had power, voice, and words. a world where she made up the rules and created what she wanted.

that world was her salvation.

eventually anna turned that world into her livelihood. today anna is a writer, an editor and a creative entrepreneur. she teaches writing to women who want to share their stories and live fully self-expressed lives. her first book, “the creative doer: a brave woman’s guide from dreaming to doing” is for “female creators, activists, and magic makers.”

there is so much in this conversation. if you want to connect to your power and share your truth, this interview is for you.

some things we talk about:

the trial and error of sharing vulnerably
how to create safe spaces within the fear (so that you can do what you need to do despite being scared)
honoring your natural rhythm and creative cycle
getting back into your body (even when it doesn’t feel safe) and creating from your heart instead of your head
striving and what to do when it’s running (and ruining) your creative work

real, raw, and unedited with jen pastiloff Oct 07, 2019

when jen was eight her father died. the last words she said to him were “I hate you.” those words would haunt her well into adulthood as she found herself dropping out of NYU as an english major, working as a waitress for 14 years while “pursuing” acting and dead-end relationships, and falling deeper into depression.

the day she began taking anti-depressants was the day she began finding her way home.

she became a yoga teacher and started writing what was true. sharing all of what it means to be human: the messy, the hard, the beautiful, the magical. no shame. no apologies. just “real fucking life.”

today jen is the national bestselling author of "On Being Human: a memoir of waking up, living real, and listening hard." she leads sold-out yoga-related movement and writing retreats around the world, and is the founder of the online magazine The Manifest-Station. jen has been featured on Good Morning America, New York magazine, Health magazine, CBS news, and more. she has a massive online following and is loved the world over for her raw and real telling of what it means to be human.

some things we talk about:

how jen rebuilt her entire life from depressed and unhappy to wildly successful and happier (most of the time)
how much to share, how to bear witness, and how to just be
on making the thing that is true to you and designing a life, and business, around who you are
on busting through shame, giving yourself a fucking medal, and being free

quitting everything for art with araki koman Sep 09, 2019

we all get thrown off course. sometimes it’s the teacher who told us we weren’t any good. or the school that rejected our application. or the job we didn’t get. or the launch where no one bought. it’s different for everyone but everyone has some version of this story.

for araki it was when she was 16 and, after having devoted a childhood to making art, to loving art, she didn’t have the grades for art school. so she stopped. for ten years she didn’t make any art. she studied international business, traveled the world for exchange programs and internships, and worked for start ups and big companies.

until depression hit. until her eyes began to hurt and she had trouble focusing and she was tired more than she wasn’t. until the day she heard a voice, loud and clear, in the middle of a park that said to her, “go back to what you loved when you were younger.”

so she did.

for the last six years araki has devoted her life to her art. just as she did when she was younger. araki is an illustrator and a reiki healer. she no longer works for big corporations in international business, she makes art. and she lives art. choosing to follow whatever is next on this creative journey – despite the uncertainty and the doubt, this is her path. and it is what she loves.

some things we talk about:

leaving art for ten years at 16 to pursue something “more practical”
how depression changed her life and the message that started it all
signs of burnout
the power of wabi-sabi to create what is true
how to pursue what you love despite the fear, doubt, and uncertainty of it all

choosing love over fear in art, business, and life with lindsay king Aug 26, 2019

painter and writer, lindsay king, is devoted to love: self-love, unconditional love, and spreading love. it's her art, her business, and her purpose.

in her own words, my “intention is to create meaningful work that carries the energy of love and healing. Asking to be a clear conduit for messages of love to move into the paint and fibers of the paper itself.”

these are hard times. no matter your political beliefs, your nationality, or your place in life, we all are facing big challenges. to choose love in the midst of all of this is one of the bravest, boldest, acts I know.
lLindsay is unapologetic in her devotion to love. It is her mission, the source of her creativity, and in every piece of art she offers the world.

it was an honor to talk with a woman of so much courage. may we all love a little deeper and a little wider because of her.

some of the things we talk about:

her practices for working with, and shifting out of, the hard emotions to be able to make art from love
honoring the voice within
creative block vs. an emotional block – and how to respond to each
dealing with fear and anxiety around money and the financial ups and downs of being an entrepreneur
sharing your work and trusting your own creations

may it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.

when life is hard and art is the way out with illustrator kaylani juanita Aug 12, 2019

It’s hard enough to feel worthy and good about oneself just being a human in a big, uncertain world. But for Kaylani, it was even harder. Born to a black father and a Filipino mother, Kaylani never felt like she belonged. She was bullied in school and at home. The messages she received about her worth and inherent goodness were twisted and cruel.

And yet, somehow, Kaylani found her way through art and an incredible inner strength. With the help of mentors, teachers, and her mom, Kaylani is now an illustrator whose clients include Chronicle Books, Cicada Magazine, and DEFY. Her work has been recognized by Society of Illustrators, The Huffington Post, and BBC.

In this conversation Kaylani talks honestly and compassionately about a difficult upbringing, a mental breakdown, and her rising up.

Some things we talk about:

how she got her first children’s book manuscript
being bullied and having a mental breakdown in college
what it means to be honest about who you are and what you make
the difference between real inclusivity in art vs. tokenization and
how art saved her life

May it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.

from meth addict to internationally recognized photographer 32 years sober with catherine just Jul 29, 2019

Catherine Just started using drugs and alcohol when she was 13. By 18 she was addicted to crystal meth. Then one day, in the throes of addiction, she heard a voice. It said, “There’s more to this life than what you’re living.” Something in Catherine woke up and she got sober. She "checked herself into art school" where she immersed herself in discovery through photography.

Today Catherine, 32 years sober, uses photography to help others return to their essence. Using a 4x5 large format film camera, Catherine captures, in a single image, “the breath, heartbeat, dreams, wishes, and desires” of her subject. Her photography has been published on the cover of National Geographic Magazine, inside O Magazine, Photo District News Magazine and shown in galleries in the US and France.

In this conversation some of things we talk about:

being addicted to meth at 16 and getting sober at 18
the power of photography to capture everything: the seen and unseen, the known and unknown
how art helped her settle into herself and find her way into the world
diving into the unknown as a business strategy and
how to use future writing as a tool to create the life you desire

May it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.

when everything is wrong, start over with lisa hsieh Jul 15, 2019

Lisa Hsieh was a clothing designer before she was a mom. She made clothes that looked good on thin people, slit maxi skirts and crop tops, clothes that were crisp, clean, and sharp —conditioned by the fashion industry that she had worked in for a decade.

Then she became a mama and everything changed. It was time to let go of all that had come before and leap into something she’d never done: designing and launching a sustainable clothing line for women that wasn’t about making clothes that defined who a person is but rather clothes that allow the person to be who they already are.

In this conversation some of things we talk about her struggles, and successes, as a mama, a wife, and an entrepreneur, launching, and growing, a business from nothing, sustainable fashion vs. fast fashion, what Taiwan and the States taught her about humility, confidence, and how to be a business owner and making money: the truth behind what it takes to create a successful business.

uncovering the most important piece of all you do with brooke shaden Jul 01, 2019

Brooke Shaden has clarity. She knows why she’s making. And that why pervades everything. The why is her legacy, her message, her brand. Brooke’s why is to inspire creativity in others.

When you have that kind of clarity you don’t worry about changing creative direction or trying out a new medium. You don’t concern yourself with those who rail against your making or criticize your style. Her why is bigger than her art. It’s bigger than her audience. It’s her north star.

In this conversation we talk about 3 steps to finding your why, your legacy, and your message, the #1 thing that stops people from moving forward in their personal and professional life, becoming a trailblazer and finding true liberation, and how to never run out of ideas or inspiration.

Brooke is a photographer whose work has been shown in galleries around the world, featured in, and on the cover of, dozens of magazines and books, winner of the international photographer of the year in 2016, named best of photography in 2015, one of Shutter Magazine's 10 most influential photographers, and is the founder of Light Space: a photography school for survivors of human trafficking in India and Thailand.

how to live a joy-filled life doing what you most love with Jesh de Rox Apr 08, 2019

Jesh de Rox is, at heart, an explorer. He's spent his life asking the big questions: the ones that help make sense of who we are and why we're here. And he's built several very successful businesses in photography, thought leadership, and business coaching, around the same two things: joy and personal growth.

Jesh's work has been featured in Vogue, Huffington Post, Elle, and Range Finder, to name a few, and has an international client list that includes celebrities and world-class performers in many fields.

Some things we talk about:

how to overcome the biggest hurdles to creating and living a meaningful life
the most unusual (and powerful) business building (and life) advice you’ll ever get
what you must know to create what is most honestly yours
why what we see on Instagram is not what we want to imitate in art or life

on art, purpose, and creating what's true with Satsuki Shibuya, part 2 Apr 01, 2019

Satsuki Shibuya is a painter, poet, and spiritual guide. She is also the first repeat guest on The Creativity Habit Podcast.

In this second conversation, we dive into the heart and mind of this spiritual thinker. We talk about love and purpose, flow and discipline, creativity and truth. It’s both profoundly spiritual and very practical.

Some things we talk about:

how to keep putting your most honest, creative self out into the world
Satsuki’s four-step creative process for hatching and launching any project
simple ways to know you’re moving in the right direction (and on the path of your purpose)
how to balance going with the flow with the practical aspects of building a business

Satsuki's work has appeared on book covers, in Kinfolk, on the set of Marie Kondo’s Netflix series, Tidying up with Marie Kondo, in galleries and private collections. But Satsuki’s true contribution is that she changes the world not because of what she does but because of who she is. Enjoy.

from soap maker to multi-million dollar business owner with hall newbegin Mar 18, 2019

Hall Newbegin is a "hippie entrepreneur" who went from making soap out of his basement to running a multi-million dollar business selling sustainably harvested products including perfume, incense, candles, and soap. Hall brought the places he loved to people who cared through products he made.

Some things we talk about

finding the courage to wander off the known path in order to find your own path
finding your one thing, digging deep, and making it your everything
starting from nothing, losing almost everything, and ending with a multi-million dollar business
following your nose, and always, always staying true to your soul

how to launch an art career even when you have no idea what you're doing with loveis wise Mar 11, 2019

Loveis Wise was a junior in college when she got her first art commission with Refinery 29 and a senior when she became the second black women in the history of The New Yorker Magazine to design its cover. Loveis grew up poor and no one in her family thought you could make any money making art but Loveis knew what she wanted and she want for it.
Today Loveis has more work than time.Her illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker Magazine, The New York Times, Buzzfeed, NPR, and TED to name a few. She’s only one year out of college but she’s already an in-demand full-time artist who found her way out of poverty doing what she loves.

Some things we talk about:

how to change your inner voice to help heal what’s not working
feeling like an imposter and doing it anyway
using art to navigate her way out of childhood trauma and depression
what she did in college to launch her career before she’d even graduated and
how to speak your dreams into existence to create the life you long for

the power of telling the truth with michelle gardella Feb 25, 2019

Michelle Gardella is an internationally recognized photographer who hustled her way out of poverty to become one of the top 30 photographers in the world by Rangefinder Magazine and one of the top ten photographers in the US by Professional Photographers of America. Today Michelle is a truth-teller who uses her camera and her words to ferret out the false and showcase the real through her River Story Sessions and her writing. She has launched two successful Kickstarter campaigns, self-published her book River Story, and is currently working on her memoir.

Some things we talk about:

how to rise above a life of poverty and abuse to become one of the top 30 photographers in the world
photography as a truth-telling tool (coming out from behind the lens)
how your brokenness leads right into your beauty
launching her first, and second, successful Kickstarter campaign and
playing the game of social media as only a truth-teller can

how to build your dream business from your heart with Susannah Conway Feb 18, 2019

Susannah Conway's business was born out of grief. When her partner died unexpectedly of a heart attack thirteen years ago, Susannah turned to photography and writing as a way through. Photography brought her into the present moment while writing helped her sort through the past ones. But eventually, her photography and writing turned into a thriving online business helping thousands of women around the world feel less alone and more alive. Today Susannah runs a six-figure business, taking pictures, writes, and teaches courses including The Sacred Alone, Your Daily Guidance, and Journal Your Life.

Some things we talk about:

how creativity carried her through her biggest loss and healed her broken heart
using language to change your reality and live into your biggest dreams
the beauty of being an introvert and the power of accepting yourself exactly as you are and
building a successful six-figure business from the heart one step at a time

doing the work you're here for with arielle estoria Feb 04, 2019

Arielle Estoria never wanted to be center stage but sometimes life decides your path for you. In college Arielle stumbled into slam and spoken word poetry. Her words had power. They resonated and moved the audience. Arielle decided to devote one year after college to her creativity. One year turned into four and today Arielle performs on stages around the world, bringing people together through the power of vulnerability, truth, and love.

Some things we talk about:

Arielle’s alter ego, Erika Watson and how Erika gave Arielle permission to perform
Arielle's years going silent in middle school
the scary, messy path of pursuing your purpose
ditching her college plan for six jobs and poetry and
how to share all your brokenness and vulnerability with the world as a path to healing and greater humanity

from near death to full-time artist with Carrie Schmitt Jan 28, 2019

Carrie Schmitt is a painter, writer, and teacher. Several years ago Carrie became so sick she couldn't move. Any physical exertion would cause her body to break out in hives and her entire system to overheat. The only thing left, the only relief she found, was in painting. Thus began Carrie's life as a full-time artist. Today Carrie teaches workshops, has several books, sells art around the world and has a clothing line coming.

Some things we talk about:

her painful descent in college into the world of partying, eating disorders, and bad relationships
how a life-threatening illness brought her back to art
finding self-love, connection, and the greater creative flow through the Rose Project
turning a life of sacrifice into a successful art career and
the power of a daily practice

how to craft the life you want to live with emma louise sophia Jan 21, 2019

Emma Louise Sophia is a writer, photographer, and teacher. Emma did not have an easy time of it growing up. She battled eating disorders, depression, and anxiety. But then she met and fell in love with her future husband and got pregnant and that changed everything. Emma sobered up, pulled what had come apart back together, and settled into a whole new life as a mom, an artist, and an entrepreneur. Today she lives in Marrakech, Morocco with her husband and three kids teaching personal development through personal discovery to thousands of men and women around the world.

Some things we talk about:

her father's sudden death, her own downward spiral and her way back home
learning how to break free of other people's expectations to find her own
discovering one's personal philosophy and
how to identify your passions and pursue them with confidence

finding peace and making money through art with Liz Trans Nov 27, 2018

Multi-disciplinary artist, Liz Tran, makes joy for a living. Her art is big and colorful and full of play. It is about extroversion and experimentation and all the things that look like happiness. Art is where Liz escaped from anxiety and depression and found safety and freedom. Today Liz's work is all over the world. From Toronto to Miami, San Francisco to Iceland, her paintings and sculptures hang in galleries, museums, and the homes of private collectors.

Some things we talk about:

advice for starting an art career
anxiety, mental illness, and art
being a woman in a very male-dominated, often discriminatory, world
how to get unstuck when you’re knee-deep in stuck
hustle, persistence, and crafting your own career

May it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.

how to use art to make the world better with Sheila Pree Bright Nov 20, 2018

Sheila Pree Bright is a photographer using the camera to change how we see the world. Her work has won numerous awards, she was a runner-up for the million dollar TED prize, her photographs have appeared in galleries and museums around the world and she lectures all over the country. Her images break down old beliefs, shake up stereotypes, and help us all see the “other” for what they truly are: people. Sheila's photography is more than art, it's activism, change, and love.

Some of what we talk about:

how to use art as activism
the power of the lens to change what we see
what it means to be black in a racist America
how to build your own art business
using social media to launch your career

May it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.

when death leads to art and art leads to life with Mati Rose Oct 28, 2018

Mati was 18 months old when her father died in a car accident. He was an artist, a woodcarver.

As Mati got older, she made a lot of art but making art was hard because it reminded her of death. And then when Mati was 29, she went to art school and she gave her life to art. Mati got an agent. She wrote and illustrated children’s books. She started a blog and built an online following.

Today, Mati leads workshops all over the world, her books include Daring Adventures in Paint and Painting the Sacred Within, she has over ten online courses, and her original art can be found in private collections around the world.

Art is no longer about death for Mati. Art is what makes Mati come fully alive.
Some things we talk about:

losing her dad at 18 months old and her grandma when she was five
going back to art school at 29
building trust in her own voice
getting started in the art world and creating an art career

How to find your YES when the world tells you NO - with interdisciplinary artists, Gabrielle Tesfaye Oct 14, 2018

heads up: this conversation was recorded in Thailand. There is a clicking sound in the background. That is a gecko.

Gabrielle Tesfaye has been making art forever. When she was little she knew she would be an artist. When she went to art school and people asked her what she planned to do with the rest of her life she simply replied, "make art." And that's what she does. All the time. Gabrielle has figured out how to devote one's life to doing exactly what one wants. In this conversation we talk about:

making art no matter how much, or how little, you have – time, money, resources
-how to price your art
the pain of losing a child and the art that came out of it
how to never give up on yourself – no matter what the world tells you

the revolution has begun - with illustrator and women's advocate Amber Vittoria Oct 07, 2018

Amber is an illustrator who makes images of women all shapes and sizes. Hairy and big. Short and wide. Arms too long, legs too short. Women who are beautiful simply because they are women.

Amber's work has appeared on the cover of numerous publications including The New York Times Magazine, she's partnered with big names like Conde Nast, Man Repeller and Gucci and she sells her art all over the world.

All from taking a stand for what she believed in, resisting what she didn’t, and making art that is honest to who she is.

Some things we talk about are:

how to hustle and get your art out there even when no one’s heard of you or knows your work
the best practices to grow your Instagram following
disrupting a broken system
how to make your own success and create your own career

Don't Fit In, Rise Above: Harper Watters on being black, gay, and a soloist with the Houston Ballet Sep 30, 2018

Harper Watters is a soloist with the Houston Ballet - the fourth largest dance company in the United States.

Harper has stood out his whole life. His parents are white. He's gay. He's a ballet dancer. He doesn't fit.

When Harper was growing up, not fitting in was hard. People stared at him. He was scared of being bullied. But as cliché as it sounds, it was when Harper learned to use his differences, to embrace them, that he found serious success as a dancer. And as a person.

Some things we talk about:

the moment Harper realized he was gay
the video that went viral and catapulted his Instagram fame
what it means to be an influencer
going from small town great to big town nobody
finding his way to the dance world and making his way within it

May it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.

getting sick, losing everything, and finding real success as a full-time artist - with Satsuki Shibuya Sep 23, 2018

Satsuki Shibuya had it all: her own graphic design business, great clients, money in the bank and then she got sick. So sick she couldn’t get out of bed, read a book or talk on the phone. And she stayed sick for a year and a half. During that time she lost everything: her business, her clients, her reputation. But she found something bigger: painting.

Now she’s a watercolorist with 33,600 Instagram followers, work that often sells out within hours, and a Kickstarter campaign that was 133% funded. In this interview, we talk about what it means to lose everything, finding you're true calling, and starting and growing a full-time art business.

Melissa Dinwiddie part 2: the creative sandbox way Jul 16, 2018

Melissa Dinwiddie is an amazing talent. It’s like everything she touches becomes beautiful. At 12 she was in adult-drawing classes. At 19 she was a dancer at Juliard. When she was 27 she was in galleries for her paper cut art and by 29 she had her own business making commissioned calligraphy and papercut art for clients all over the country.

Now Melissa runs the Creative Sandbox. It's a community, a consulting agency, retreats, and playdays. But most of all it's a way of life where art is just art and creativity is (almost) always fun.

Her work has been featured in The Huffington Post, Tiny Buddha, The Abundant Artist, Creative Pro, and Life Hack.

Some things we talk about:

abandoning drawing in 7th for not being “good enough”
getting into Juiliard at 19 and dropping out at 20
starting her own business at 29, getting divorced, shutting her business down and
starting over with The Creative Sandbox.

Murphy Funkhouser Capps: there is no shame in a life well-traveled Jul 15, 2018

Murphy Funkhouser Capps has lived many, many lives. She’s been a military preacher’s daughter. A theater geek. A bible college dropout. Lived in a car. A party girl. A six-figure earner and then broke. A single mom. A married mom. A playwright. An entrepreneur. A branding specialist. Unemployed. Fired. A CEO. A storyteller. And, above all, a survivor.

This is Murphy’s story. Much of it anyway. From the child to the woman, through the dark and into the light. It’s all here. A gloriously beautiful, totally messed up, well-traveled life.

Some things we talk about:

repression, creativity, and freedom,
her dark period of alcohol, drug abuse and homelessness
writing an award-winning play and
going from broke, single mom to owner of a seven-figure a year branding business

Alexandra Bowman: starting a freelance art business, the pain of not fitting in, and making art that matters Jul 15, 2018

When Alexandra Bowman isn’t working her 9-5, she’s an illustrator. She draws all kinds of pictures, many of them women of color who are artists, writers, activists, and leaders. She “ focuses on ways to celebrate the female and illustrate her as a focal point of the community and social movements.”

Alexandra's work has been featured in The New York Times, Edible Magazine, Pop-Up Magazine, Food 52, and the BBC.

Some of the things we talk about:

being the daughter of bi-racial parents in a mostly-white neighborhood
using art to find your place in the world
the best advice for getting your freelance business off the ground
and making art about what matters

Melissa Dinwiddie part 1: the creative sandbox way Jul 15, 2018

Melissa Dinwiddie is an amazing talent. It’s like everything she touches becomes beautiful. At 12 she was in adult-drawing classes. At 19 she was a dancer at Juliard. When she was 27 she was in galleries for her paper cut art and by 29 she had her own business making commissioned calligraphy and papercut art for clients all over the country.

Now Melissa runs the Creative Sandbox. It's a community, a consulting agency, retreats, and playdays. But most of all it's a way of life where art is just art and creativity is (almost) always fun.

Her work has been featured in The Huffington Post, Tiny Buddha, The Abundant Artist, Creative Pro, and Life Hack.

Some things we talk about:

abandoning drawing in 7th for not being “good enough”
getting into Juiliard at 19 and dropping out at 20
starting her own business at 29, getting divorced, shutting her business down and
starting over with The Creative Sandbox.

Allie Monday: high-end boudoir photography for badass women Jul 15, 2018

Allie Monday is a woman-centered high-end boudoir photographer who believes women are "badasses and should be photographed that way." She doesn't airbrush, photoshop, or gloss over a woman's beauty. Instead, she highlights it, exactly as it is.

She has learned that when she gives other women a chance to see and know themselves through the lens of a loving camera and a compassionate photographer, a woman transforms.

And she has learned that every body is a canvas and every woman an amazing piece of art.

Here Allie shares it all: her truth, the truth of the women she photographs, and the undeniable truth in the beauty of every woman who lets herself be seen just as she is.

Some things we talk about:

her thoughts on overcoming an eating disorder and being ten years sober
leaving the airbrushed world of wedding photography for the world of
boudoir and
doing what you love no matter how bold or terrifying

Sonal Nathwani: when normal is all you need to be very succesful Jul 15, 2018

Sonal Nathwani is an artist. She was born in Africa to Indian parents who fled to England to escape bad things in Africa. She grew up in England before moving to Belgium, Florence, and eventually, Vienna.

Sonal Nathwani is old enough to know that it doesn’t matter what someone else tells you matters. That when you make art, what is most important, is that you make it for you, that you do it first, for yourself.

Sonal has been making, selling, and teaching art full-time for over 20 years.

Some things we talk about:

ditching perfectionism for imperfect beauty
creating, sharing, and selling art
becoming your own person, your own artist, and
making what you truly love

Ash Sierra: this isn't how humans are supposed to live Jul 15, 2018

Ash Sierra dropped out of college her sophomore year to explore herbalism. She began making salves and tinctures for friends and family. It was never meant to be a business.

Today Ash runs Ritual Botanica, a private consulting practice and a thriving business selling tinctures, salves, dried herbs, oils, teas with over than 55,000 followers on Instagram and customers all over the world.

Some things we talk about:

trying to be adult, losing herself, and getting found
starting a business doing what she loved most – as impractical as it
was
how to tune into your guidance and
depression, autonomy, and choosing your own life

Lanecia Rouse: death, life, and full-time art Jul 15, 2018

Lanecia was born the daughter of a pastor. As a young adult, she chose to study divinity and become a pastor herself. But then, at 36 years-old. Lanecia found out she was pregnant. And, as many expecting moms do, she started to examine her life in preparation for parenthood. She began questioning things in the church she hadn’t questioned before, and she started to re-envision who she was and what was possible. And that is when Lanecia began the journey into life as a full-time artist.

Here Lanecia shares her story as honestly as she does her art, her struggles with the church, her loss around her daughter, and her new life as a full-time artist who is finally free.

Some things we talk about:

being the daughter of a black pastor in an all-white world
losing a baby girl and gaining a new life
getting starting making art as you’re your full-time thing and
leaping after your dreams no matter the scrapes and bruises

Amira Rahim: from zero to $90,000 in three years Jul 15, 2018

In three short years, painter Amira Rahim went from painting alone in her room to selling art in galleries and online, having licensing agreements, and being recognized the world over for her talent .

Amira's work has been featured in The Huffington Post, Time Out, The Chicago Tribune, Ebony and in galleries and personal collections around the world.

Amira spends every day living out her mission: using her art to make the world a more colorful place.

Some things we talk about:

how she built her business piece by piece,
dealing with depression while building a huge art business and
the need to lead – taking your followers where they want to go

Jennette Nielsen: Keep Your Possibility in the Pitcher May 13, 2018

“Honey-drenched maker, sister keeper, and gentle spirit badass mother fucker,” Jennette Nielsen, creates from just about anything to make just about everything. From goddess mugs to witches salves, from bags and hats to rattles, and inks, Jennette makes to mend and turns rubbish into beauty. When Jennette was four years old her step-father began sexually abusing her. He stopped when she was ten. Jennette found refuge in creating and today makes her living from the art that keeps her breathing.

SOME THINGS WE TALK ABOUT…

Using art to heal from long-term sexual abuse
How having a baby freed her up to be totally honest
How she “cobbles together an income” to make a living from making art and
Making art without asking a single soul for permission

A'Driane Nieves: "Painting Saved My Sanity." Apr 15, 2018

Addye Nieves is a self-taught visual artist, writer, and mental health advocate. Her work focuses on trauma, healing, and how both shape who we are and who we become. She “empowers women to transform brokenness in their lives into power and beauty, and amplifies the voices and experiences of those marked as Other in society.” This is her story from broke to beautiful.

In this conversation we talk about:

• the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father
• how she made it through college while raising two kids as a single mom
• finding painting and how painting saved her sanity
• the path to becoming a self-taught full-time visual artist
• learning to promote and sell her work
• and the first thing anyone can do to help heal trauma through art

Kimberly Beaman: dyslexia, depression, & cupcakes Apr 08, 2018

Actor, advocate, singer, and author, Kimberly Beaman, was diagnosed with dyslexia when she was five. She was humiliated, threatened, and segregated in school. By middle school, her self-esteem had plummeted. By high school, Kimberly was officially depressed. Today
she runs her own company: Accessible Books for Children. Her first children's book, My Little Cupcake, is a book for all young learners but designed specifically for kids with dyslexia and other learning differences.

In this conversation we talk about:

her first emotional breakdown at 8 years old
being bullied, threatened, and misunderstood
finding healing through community and counseling
ditching corporate life to be an entrepreneur and
her first steps in a global vision for change

Gregg Deal: It Was A 'Do or Die' Moment Apr 01, 2018

Muralist, Painter, and Performance Artist, Gregg Deal, makes art that is provocative and powerful. Work that explores themes of Indigenous identity, race relations, decolonization, and appropriation. As a marginalized artist in a Western art world, Gregg's work challenges our assumptions and beliefs about what it means to be Indian in America.

In this conversation we talk about:

Being bullied for being brown
The role of identity in art and using it to find your own
Taking the leap into life as a full-time artist without any safety net
What it took for Gregg to find, and own, his voice and
The balance between self-expression and honoring one’s culture

Leah Tumerman: Being Drugged, Never Quitting, and Her Call to Arms Mar 25, 2018

Leah Tumerman makes paintings on canvas, murals on walls, and drawings on paper. Her work explores what it means to be a woman through the lens of sisterhood and community, identity and belonging. And sometimes, loneliness.

In this conversation, some things we talk about are:

The struggle between fitting in and standing out
The decision to never quit
The loneliest period of her adult life
Healing from an incredibly intense trauma and
Her call to arms as a woman and an artist

Kesha Bruce: Being Broke, Losing Faith, and Turning It All Around Mar 22, 2018

Kesha decided she wanted to be an artist when she went to NYC at 15. She's making art ever since. In this conversation we talk about:

What it’s like when no one understands your art and how to keep going in spite of it
How Kesha survived being broke while attending fancy art school
Losing her creative voice and what she did to find it again
Being a full-time artist (while holding down a day job) and
How Kesha wants to flip the art world on its head: making it accessible to all and meaningful for everyone

Kim Wildthorne: How to make work with integrity and grow your business authentically Mar 11, 2018

Jeweler and watercolor maker, Kim Wildthorne, is a mother, thinker, doer and creative problem solver whose “heart manifests in the world with humility, sensitivity, and gratitude.” Kim brings beauty, intention, and integrity into the world through sustainable made jewelry and eco-conscious watercolor paints.

In this interview we talk about her struggles as she transitioned to life as a full-time artist, the courage to become an artist, how to sell your work with integrity and grow your business authentically, the sacrifices she’s made to stay an artist, and how to hold on to the core of who you are in a world of instant feedback, advice, and criticism.

Karen Walrond: From Worn Out Lawyer to Full-On Artist Feb 04, 2018

Karen Walrond is a bestselling author and the creator of the award-winning blog, Chookooloonks. She’s a TEDx Speaker, a certified Daring Way facilitator, and part of One.org, a grassroots organization that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease in developing countries. Her mission is to help you look for, and find, the light. This is Karen’s story from a 5-year-old told she had no aptitude for art to a woman whose entire life is about making it.

Some things we talk about

her first blog, her first book, and her first time making money from
her art 3 questions to ask to figure out exactly out who you are
using art to speak up and creativity to make change the value of
diversity and the beauty of difference when to share your creativity
with those you love (and when to wait) and
how Karen launched herself and into the paid world of public speaking
and a career in creativity

Alisa Burke: How to Go From Day Job to Dream Job Jan 28, 2018

In this very candid interview Alisa Burke, painter & mixed-media artist, talks about everything from miscarriage and how art pulled her through what was one of the hardest years of her life to the challenges of being a full-time artist, what happened when she got really brave and put herself out there, how to find your own creative voice amongst the millions of others, and what it took for Alisa to leave the world of a steady paycheck and health care and leap into the world of art, dreams, and freedom.

Andrea Pippins: How to Succeed Despite Loads of Rejection Jan 21, 2018

Andrea Pippins is a successful illustrator and author who didn't take any art classes until her senior year in high school. She applied three times to the Tyler School of Art at Temple University before being accepted. Today Andrea has clients around the world including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Lincoln Center and Free People. Her work has been featured in O: The Oprah Magazine, Family Circle and The Huffington Post and she’s the author of three books including the coloring book, “I love my hair” and her newest book, Young, Gifted, and Black. This is Andrea’s story from just starting out to freelancer to living back on her mom’s couch to being a full-time successful artist living in Sweden with her husband and baby boy.

In this interview, we talk about

• The best thing to do when just getting started
• Exactly what she does to stay grounded and creative under tight deadlines
• Dealing with rejection (again and again and again)
• How going natural changed her idea of beauty
• The one question she wished she'd been asked as a teenager
• How to share your work (and then let it go)

Fear Expert, Roanne Van Voorst, on How to Bust Through ANY Fear Jan 14, 2018

Fear researcher, author, and productivity expert, Roanne Van Voorst used to be an overworked academic scared of dogs, flying, public speaking, risk-taking, and heights. Then Roanne started putting her research into action. Now she works four hour days producing more than she ever has. She’s written six books in the last six years, including Fear! Extreme athletes on how to reach your highest goals and overcome stress and self-doubt. She’s created two in-depth online training programs, and she flies around the world speaking publicly. In her off time she climbs mountains. And she has a dog.

In this interview we talk about:

The two things you NEED to know about fear
Roanne’s personal system for getting more done in less time – without sacrificing rest or renewal
A step-by-step process for overcoming almost any fear and
How to live a more creative, courageous life

Catherine Rains: From Breast Cancer to Divorce to Life as a Full-Time Artist Dec 17, 2017

Catherine Rains is a collage artist and painter. She began making art at 33-years old to help relieve the stress of her full-time job. Over the last two decades, Catherine has built a strong following and an extensive portfolio. Her work has been shown in galleries, art shows, and is in private collections around the country. Here is the story of Catherine’s journey: from making art while working, to becoming a full-time artist, getting breast cancer, divorced, returning back to work, and eventually becoming, once again, a full-time artist.

In this interview we talk about:
• her daily routine: how she made art every day while working full-time
• the 3 core things to focus on when building an art business
• the exact phrase Catherine used to manifest her dream job
• overcoming breast cancer and divorce while navigating an art career and
• the most important strategy for making money when starting out

Grace D. Chin: How To Do What You Love Without Compromising Who You Are Dec 10, 2017

Grace Chin makes art that is both political and pretty, useful and ornamental. She makes beautiful wreaths that surround strong personal and political statements like “smash the patriarchy, hope fiercely, nevertheless she persisted, I believe you," and "take care." Grace graduated with a BFA in printmaking from the University of Kansas in 2012. Before starting her career as a full-time artist, she worked for a while at a toy store until she decided that she wanted to pay her rent doing what she loved. Grace went on to do just that.

In this interview we talk about

her story from making art to studying art to leaving art to making it again, as a full-time gig
how to make art when you’re feeling stuck
the dance between hope and resistance, fighting and joy
using creativity to imagine a better world and using art to change it, and
how you never have to compromise who you are to do what you want to do.

Alisha Sommer: Finding Money in Storytelling Dec 03, 2017

Alisha Sommer is a freelance writer and photographer who is, at heart, a storyteller. She is a mama of three, a lover of wine, words, and light. She began her own business at home, as a young mom, wanting to know if writing could become a job and money could be made from stories. Now, nearly ten years later, she earns a living from her creativity. But it’s been a slow build that’s required patience, perseverance, and consistency.

In this interview, we talk about that slow build. And we also talk about:

finding oneself after parenthood
the truth of writer’s block and how to move through it
being a black artist married to a white man, living in a white suburb, having grown up in white neighborhoods and
how to define who you are and build a business that you love

Michael Gebben: How to Make Anything Happen Nov 26, 2017

Michael Gebbens is a videographer, motivational speaker, and business coach. Here Michael shares about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, the truth about money and business (and his own story of near bankruptcy), and how to do what you love even when what you love isn’t what you’ve been taught to do.

Some things we talk about:

• how to know what’s good advice, what isn’t, and the exact questions to ask to figure out the difference
• what to do if you’re doing what you love but still not making money
• the exact steps Michael used to pull himself out of near bankruptcy
• the two ways to sell and
• how to figure out the “right” path to pursue (and when to quit the “wrong” one)

Alena Hennesy: Trusting Your Gut, Making Your Art, and Staying True to Your Soul Nov 19, 2017

Alena Hennessy is an intuitive painter, teacher, writer, and workshop leader. She’s been doing the art thing for twelve years and making enough money to keep doing art for the last four years. Alena’s learned a lot on this path. She’s learned about what it takes to build a successful art business, how to trust in herself and her creative voice, what to do when the pain is big and where to turn to make it smaller, and how to make art that only you can make.

Some things we talk about;
• the intuitive painting process (or painting without a plan)
• dealing with the ebbs and flows of creativity
• what to share, how much, and when and
• how to make enough money to make it all work

Nikki Cade: on staying true, sharing what's yours, and knowing when it's time Nov 12, 2017

Mixed media artist, Nikki Cade, left her full-time job as a special education teacher in June of this year to pursue art full-time. Because she’d spent the last several years building an online following and customer base, she could quit her job when her art became more important than the teaching. It’s been six months since then and she loves it. Here Nikki talks about what it took to leave the full-time job, how she prepared herself mentally and financially for the transition, her path to freedom, and how she found her creative voice.

Some things we talk about:

knowing when to leap
how to transition from a full-time job to being a full-time maker
making do with what you have (and creating success from wherever you're at)
how to keep your own voice while imitating what's working for others
sharing, and selling, your work online and
tricks for building a powerful, effective brand

Christa David: Choosing Your Own Path No Matter the Circumstances Nov 05, 2017

Christa david left a six-figure earning career in public health for a full-time gig as an artist. She makes collages, paintings, and photographs that she sells online, through galleries, and in-person. Here Christa talks about what she learned as a mom at 14-years-old and how that’s informed her art business today, the ups and downs of being your own boss, and what it means to make art as a black woman in America today.

Some things we talk about:

• The three non-negotiables in art and business
• How to deal with jealousy and envy (and avoid the comparison trap)
• The most (and least) effective ways to market your thing
• Transitioning from a six-figure career to life as a full-time artist and
• The ups and downs of being your own boss

Jethro Waters: Getting Started, Staying With It, and Knowing When the Work is Done Oct 29, 2017

Director, photographer and filmmaker, Jethro Waters, is best known for a more avant-garde, magical realist approach to filmmaking. His work has been published in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Pitchfor, NPR, Spin, and Billboard. Here Jethro shares about the ebbs and flows of creativity, how he got started making films and his launch into the world of documentaries, what it’s like to film your real-life heros and why the work of an artist is never done.

Some things we talk about:
• The longevity of art – or what it takes to become a master
• How to deal with the ebbs and flows of creativity
• Knowing which ideas to pursue and which to drop
• Why you must make your work and put it out there (even if you’re not ready)
• How to choose between helpful feedback and feedback best ignored and
• How to know when your work is done

L'Erin Alta: How to Rebuild from Rock Bottom Oct 22, 2017

L'Erin is a healer. And by healer I mean warrior. She's been to rock bottom and, like a phoenix, risen from the ashes. Now L'Erin makes her living as a "soul guide, shadow diver, and spiritual teacher."

In this conversation we talk about:
• making your way back from the depths of despair
• the key to liberation (seriously)
• how to start, and then restart, your business brick-by-virtual brick
• lessons learned from depression, loss, and brain surgery

L'Erin Alta: How to Rebuild from Rock Bottom Oct 22, 2017

L'Erin is a healer. And by healer I mean warrior. She's been to rock bottom and, like a phoenix, risen from the ashes. Now L'Erin makes her living as a "soul guide, shadow diver, and spiritual teacher."

In this conversation we talk about:
• making your way back from the depths of despair
• the key to liberation (seriously)
• how to start, and then restart, your business brick-by-virtual brick
• lessons learned from depression, loss, and brain surgery

Lisa Congdon: From Exhaustion to Burnout and the Path Back to Sanity Oct 15, 2017

Artist and Illustrator, Lisa Congdon, spends her life making art and teaching others about art. She speaks openly and honestly about things most people never talk about like how to navigate the murky waters of success, social media anxiety, burnout, aging, and money.

Some things we talk about:

the role of art in activism
knowing what, and how, to share (and when it's best not to)
the value of going beyond your comfort zone and the necessity, at times, of staying within it
how to manage the inevitable fears and anxieties in the making of your thing and
dealing with success, burnout, and the path back to sanity

Dayna Reggero: How to Go After Your Dreams Even When You've Got No Clue What You're Doing Oct 08, 2017

We talk about the affect her mom’s cancer diagnosis had on her life, how she made her first film with just a go pro and a mediocre mic, what it’s like to face physical danger in one’s work, and how to go for your dreams no matter how big they are or how little you know.

Ashley Longshore: There Are No Good Excuses and There Is No Better Time Jun 18, 2017

Ashley and I talk about how Ashley went from "broke as shit" to selling to hedge-fund managers and billionaires, the formula for figuring out who you are and what you want to say, money, and how to never, ever give up.

*warning: the language used in this interview is explicit

Olivia Emmer: Taking the Leap from Employee to Entrepreneur Jun 11, 2017

It's not an easy leap from employee to entrepreneur. In this conversation with photographer, Olivia Emmer, we talk about taking that leap. We talk about how to make the switch from creativity as a hobby to a full-time gig, charging for your work, the challenges and joys of working on your own, knowing when to leap, and claiming your space as an artist.

Glenis Redmond: How to Commit to Your Calling Jun 04, 2017

From a Ku Klux Klan rally to Poet-in Residence in Greenville, SC, Glenis Redmond has been changing live through poetry her entire adult life. In this interview we talk about how to get on the right path when you find yourself on the wrong one, the different faces of courage, what it means to make a vow to your creativity and, how to not only find your creative voice but stand in it and live from it.

Nick Moen: How to Disrupt an Industry With Your Art May 28, 2017

we talk about creative problem solving, the challenges of collaboration, how to run a successful kickstarter campaign, why it matters where your things come from, and how to have more with less.

Ophelia Chong: Cannabis, Diversity, and Using Art to Stir Stuff Up May 21, 2017

we dive into diversity, how Ophelia grew her business from an idea to a partnership with adobe in under two years, crafting your perfect job, setting good goals, and living a life of risk.

elana kundell: taking risks, making your thing, and doing what really matters May 14, 2017

on using art to discover oneself, taking risks and changing directions, Elana’s daily warm-up routine, the biggest hindrance to making art, practices for cultivating self-love, and the one thing to be on guard for when pursuing a path of creativity.

Antuan Byers: Rejection, Breakdowns, and Using Dance as a Tool for Social Change May 07, 2017

In this interview we talk about breakdowns – emotional and physical – and how not to let them break you down, how to create and maintain your own self-esteem, especially when in a very competitive environment, dance as a tool for social change, a typical day in the world of a professional dancer and antuan’s personal journey from a young kid in dallas, tx to a professional dancer on national and international stages.

Ekaterina Popova: How to Build a Following and Make a Difference with Your Art Apr 30, 2017

In this interview we talk about creative ways to survive as an artist, Ekaterina's personal journey from art school to working three jobs to financially supporting herself full-time as an artist, how artists can use social media to market themselves, and the most important phrase to know for owning your creativity and pursuing a creative path.

Kelly Rae Roberts - How to Find Passion and Success at Any Age Apr 23, 2017

In this interview we talk about designing your own creativity story, being an artist with no art experience, how to trust and follow your creative urges, and how to stay sane in the midst of motherhood, art-making, and entrepreneurship.

Nathanael Roney - Changing Lives: One Piece of Art at a Time Apr 15, 2017

In this interview Nathanael and I talk about the value of street art, the power of art to shake up a stagnant society, how to move through “hot head” – the potentially paralyzing anxiety every artist faces, creativity as the highest pursuit and how to bring art into every part of your life.

Melody Ross - Grief, Loss, and the Healing Power of Art Apr 04, 2017

In this interview we dive deep into some very personal parts of Melody’s life, we talk about grief and loss and how art can save you and bring you back home. We talk about sisterhood, the secret to following your dream even when you have no money, time, or resources, and how to use art to heal even the most broken parts of life.

Davin Youngs - How to Transform Everything Through the Power of Voice Mar 29, 2017

In this interview we talk about singing and voice and how to use your voice to change your world. We look at how to find your authentic singing and creative voice, how we hide behind our voice, why singing can be so scary and how singing can change your life.

Zoë Kors - How to Live a Wildly Expressed Life Mar 23, 2017

In this interview we begin with a brief history of the design world in the 20th and 21st century, and then dive into what it means to be a wildly expressed woman, how to get out of your own way, the integration of the masculine and feminine in ourselves and our art, and the secret to creativity.

Flora Bowley - How to Let Go, Be Brave, and Create From the Heart Mar 13, 2017

In this interview we talk about permission, freedom, the art of bravery, creating without a plan, moving through stuckness, finding your way when your way is unclear, and the courage to just let go, show up, and make your art.

Susannah Gebhart - Cultivating Faith, Presence, and Craft Mar 09, 2017

In this interview with baker, Susannah Gebhart, we talk about the grace of hard work, the power of daily practice, failure, abundance, and the vulnerability of sharing.

Kat Walters - The Courage to be Creative Mar 05, 2017

In this interview with designer Kat Walters, we talk about how to quiet the inner critic, what to do when the creative juices stop flowing, the importance of vision, and how to stay focused in a world full of distractions.

Andy Farkas - Art as a Way Home Feb 24, 2017

In this interview Andy Farkas and I talk about the necessity of solitude and how to find stillness in the busiest of lives, the seven stages of the creative process, the most important questions to ask after every creative project, and how to know if your art is worth making

Esmé Weijun Wang - How to be a Creative Warrior Feb 22, 2017

In this creativity conversation Esmé Weijun Wang and I talk about how to deal with artistic jealousy, what it takes to persevere in the face of rejection after rejection, how to endure suffering, how much to share and where do you draw the line, and how do you know your creative voice.

An introduction to this brand new thing Feb 15, 2017

Welcome to the Creativity Habit Podcast: conversations about art, creativity and courage. In this episode I talk about what the show's about, who it's for, how it's going to work and why art, creativity, and courage.

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