Pep Talks for Artists

Latest Episodes:

Ep 80: Resilience Through Research (Pt 3) w/ Jennifer Coates Dec 04, 2024

Show notes

Artist, Jennifer Coates is back for Part 3 in our series about finding artistic resilience through research! This time we look at these artists and how they adapted to their own gloomy times of foreboding:

Kay Sage: Found a way to paint even though she was a victim of domestic violence and ignored by the art world, and used her money to help Surrealist artists flee Germany and France before WWII

Grete Stern: Sneakily slipped in feminist art into a fluffy women's magazine under the Peronist regime

Jacob Lawrence: Illustrated injustices and acts of racism not covered by the history books

Frederic Edwin Church: Painted an emblem that many thought symbolized the coming Civil War

Works mentioned:

Kay Sage works: "This Morning" 1939, "China Eggs" Autobiography, "I Saw Three Cities" 1944, "A Bird in the Room" 1955, "Destiny" a poem

Grete Stern works: "Los Sueños: Muñecos (Dreams: The Doll)" 1949 for Idilio Magazine (Argentina)

Jacob Lawrence works: "The Life of Toussaint Louverture," "Migration" and "Struggle" Series

Frederic Edwin Church works: "Meteor" 1860, with writers/poets: Herman Melville's "The Portent" 1859, Walt Whitman's "Year of Meteors" 1860 and "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" 1856 (both "Leaves of Grass")

Special thanks to art historian and Senior Curator at the Smithsonian, Eleanor Harvey, for her presentation on the Civil War - from which I got most of my information on the meteor and its effects on the culture then: https://www.youtube.com/live/3r1_xWV1ICU?si=QtC2xKeHq7oHzNfQ

Other artists mentioned: André Breton, Fra Angelico, Piero della Francesca

**Disclaimer: As we are not historians by trade, some factual errors may have slipped through. Apologies if so **

Jennifer Coates online: ⁠web⁠ and ⁠IG⁠

Amy Talluto online: ⁠web⁠ and ⁠IG⁠

Thank you, Jennifer! Thank you, Listeners!

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Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠peptalksforartists.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy's website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠amytalluto.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Ep 79: Resilience through Research (Pt 2) w/ Jennifer Coates Dec 04, 2024

Show notes

Visit glögg glögg, a POP up ART sale, Dec 13-14 in Woodstock NY: website or IG

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What can an artist do during times of political unrest and instability? In this episode (Part 2 of our series), we aim to find out. Jennifer Coates joins me again to share some stories from the past of how artists coped throughout history, because somehow research is very reassuring right now!

We looked at the ways these specific artists reflected and reacted to their time:

Goya: Made his most honest work in secret

Dave Drake: Created signed pottery and poetry and used them to comment on his life and times, even though enslaved

Otto Dix: Painted the horrors of the past in order to warn society against repeating them

Mario Mafai: Documented destruction of housing under Fascism

Felix Nussbaum: Painted even while hiding from the Gestapo

Piet Mondrian: Built a controlled world of harmony and equilibrium to escape to

George Grosz: Openly lampooned everyone in power & the media

Francisco de Goya works: "Goya's Graphic Imagination" exhibition at the Met 2021, "Disasters of War" Etchings 1810-20, "Still Life of a Lambs Head and Flanks" 1812, "The Black Paintings" incl "Saturn Devouring His Son" 1823, "The Dog" 1823, and "Witches Sabbath" 1823

Dave Drake: all examples of stoneware jugs and vessels

Otto Dix works: "The Trench" 1923, "War Cripples" 1920, "The Skull" 1924, "Mealtime in the Trenches" 1924

Mario Mafai works: "Demolition" 1936, "Destruction of the Neighborhoods" 1939

Felix Nussbaum works: "Self-Portrait with Jewish Identity Card" 1943, "Death Triumphant" 1944

Piet Mondrian work: "Tableau 1, Lozenge with Four Lines and Gray" 1926

George Grosz work: "Pillars of Society" 1926

Other artists/movements mentioned: DeStijl Movement, Futurist Movement, Dada Movement, Yves Tanguay

Part 3 is out now!

**Disclaimer: As we are not historians by trade, some factual errors may have slipped through. Apologies if so **

Jennifer Coates online: web and IG

Amy Talluto online: web and IG

Thank you, Jennifer! Thank you, Listeners!

All music by Soundstripe

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Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks website: ⁠⁠⁠peptalksforartists.com⁠⁠⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy's website: ⁠⁠⁠amytalluto.com⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

Ep 78: Resilience through Research (Pt 1) w/ Jennifer Coates Nov 26, 2024

Show notes

Jennifer Coates, friend of the pod, is back to help me consider a new way forward (artwise) after the destabilizing event of the US election. She, herself, is finding comfort in the long history of rocks, geology and the cosmos, while I find myself turning to a book about how Matisse and his daughter, Marguerite, both reacted to the trauma of WWII in opposite yet valid ways. It's a bit of a potpourri, but we promise some great galvanizing art historical quotes and an inspiring double pep talk for the ages. Alternative title of ep: Rock Paper Scissors! Come hang out with us!

Media mentions: The Weekly Show w Jon Stewart (ep with Heather Cox Richardson), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on IG/Tiktok

Rock mentions: The Makapansgat pebble, Paleo "Venuses," Venus de Willendorf, baetyl stones, "The Living Stones" by Ithell Colquhoun, Paul Cezanne's drawings of Fontainbleu Quarry/MOMA show , John Elderfield and Terry Winters discuss Cezanne's Rock and Quarry Paintings for the Brooklyn Rail , "Turning to Stone: Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks" by Marcia Bjornerud, new minerals elalite and elkinstantonite discovered in 2022 in Somalia from a meteorite

Art mentions:

Cat Balco, Adie Russell, Elisabeth Condon, Pierre Bonnard, Edvard Munch & "White Night" 1900, Dada Movement, Hannah Hoch & “Cut with the Kitchen Knife," Man Ray, "Matisse the Master" by Hilary Spurling, "The Unknown Matisse" by Hilary Spurling, Henri Matisse ”Bathers by a River" 1917 and "The Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence" 1947-51, "Verve Magazine" Issue No 8 Vol 2 (1940), "Les Fleurs de Mal" Baudelaire/Matisse poetry book, Marguerite Matisse, Max Beckmann

Jennifer's website and IG: https://www.jenniferlcoates.com/ @jennifercoates666

Thank you, Jennifer! Thank you, Listeners!

All music by Soundstripe

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Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks website: ⁠peptalksforartists.com⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy's website: ⁠amytalluto.com⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

Bonus Ep: The Canopy Program with Catherine Haggarty Nov 25, 2024

Show notes

This bonus episode is a promotion for NYC Crit Club's "The Canopy Program" 2025, a year-long mentorship community for artists. Founder and artist, Catherine Haggarty, stopped by the pod to tell me more about what the program offers, who it's for, and which artists she has on deck to lead the cohorts next year.

Applications for The Canopy Program are open Monday, December 9th - January 12, 2025

Quick Links:

RSVP for Zoom Info Sessions (Dec 3, 10, 12 and Jan 3, 6)

The Canopy Program website

The Canopy Program on IG

The Canopy Program is a year-long intimate mentorship program, providing artists access to work exclusively with a Faculty Mentor and a Cohort of 10 artists for three consecutive semesters (Spring, Summer + Fall 2025).

Together, as a Cohort, artists will meet regularly for critiques, discussions, artist talks, and resource-building in professional practices, workshops, and lectures! Each Cohort features an esteemed roster of invited Guest Speakers + Visiting Artists/Critics/Gallerists.

2025 Mentors

Rose Nestler @rose.nestler⁠ (⁠⁠virtual)

Matt Phillips @themattphillips ⁠(⁠⁠virtual)

Erika Ranee @erikaranee ⁠(⁠⁠virtual)

Adrienne Elise Tarver @adrienne__elise⁠ ⁠(⁠⁠virtual)

Amy Lincoln @amyplincoln ⁠ ⁠(⁠⁠in person)

Sara Jimenez @saraegj (⁠in person)

Virtual Cohorts are hosted via Zoom and are open to artists around the globe!

In-Person Cohorts are hosted in Chelsea (New York City) and are open to NYC-area

Visit nyccritclub.com to learn more & apply!

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Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks website: ⁠peptalksforartists.com⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy's website: ⁠amytalluto.com⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

Ep 77: Interview w/ Artist, Kristen Mills Nov 04, 2024

Show notes

I'm back in the interview seat with Kristen Mills, an artist working in video, sculpture and installation. We discussed her latest show at Turley Gallery where she covered an entire room with cardboard and made it into a spaceship cockpit. Her video work features clones of herself, multiplied, and combines humor and old school editing techniques to create surreal worlds of play and exploration. The digital elements are then ensconced in laboriously-made, intricate cardboard constructions.

There's also Glue Tawk and a MacDowell Corner! Tune in!

Find Kristen's work online:

Web: https://millskristen.com/

IG: @k.millzzzzzzzzzzz

Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program on IG: @swstudioprogram

(Open Studios in late April 2025)

Previous Exhibitions:

Turley Gallery: https://www.turley.gallery/kristen-mills-seats-for-everyone

Glenlily Grounds: https://www.glenlilygrounds.com/glenlily-grounds-2024

Ortega y Gasset: https://www.oygprojects.com/believability

Kristen's videos mentioned: Audience for an Audience, Waiting Room, I Can Reach In, Seats for Everyone, Space Race (featuring artwork by Melissa Dadourian), The Portal with the Cord, Tap Sap, Rock Collecting, Animal Sanctuary Project, Sister Spaceship Live at the Sinkhole w/ Angie Melchin

Comedians mentioned: Maria Bamford, Atsuko Okatsuka, Ali Wong, Paula Poundstone, Chris Fleming

Movies/TV Mentioned: Strangers with Candy, Pee-wee's Playhouse, Beetlejuice

Artist Residencies/Schools Mentioned: Skohegan School of Painting & Sculpture, Vermont Studio Center (VSC), MacDowell and Firth Studio, Amy's secret MacDowell vlog, Columbo's Dog: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_sKO_QcKc1eIVTRXyDHryw

Glue Tawk™: Kristen uses "Sure Bond" corded hot glue gun and sticks (rumor has it also comes in roll form like a too-long fingernail or ram's horn)

“An artist discovers his genius the day he dares not to please.”

— André Malraux

Thank you, Kristen! Thank you, Listeners!

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Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks website: peptalksforartists.com

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy's website: amytalluto.com

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

Ep 76: Feeling Witchy Oct 31, 2024

Show notes

Dear Listeners, it's spooky season. In that spirit, I offer you this mini episode about taking a mini break from the career grind. Why not instead light a spell candle while getting clear on what we really want? Shelve the "should's" for a bit and get witchy with me.

The ending "Goodbye!" (with cacophonous lighting zaps) is Bette Midler from the movie, Hocus Pocus - Iconic Icon.

Thank you for listening.

All music by Soundstripe

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Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

Ep 75: Burchfield's Constant Leaf Oct 08, 2024

Show notes

Charles Burchfield (Chas to his friends) once noted how an oak leaf had fluttered down and stuck upright in the snow in his neighbors yard, like a flag, for the entire winter. It weathered many Buffalo "gales" and storms and thereafter Burchfield used it as a personal symbol of steadfastness. In fact its alternate title is "Steadfast Leaf." The painting he made of it is attached here "Constant Leaf, also known as Steadfast Leaf" 1960, watercolor and graphite on paper.

And, speaking of leaves, I indulge in a short meditation on how the forest floor leaf litter reminds me of the mutual beneficence of a group of artist friends. Hope you enjoy!

Ep 74: William Shatner in Space (The Overview Effect) Sep 06, 2024

Show notes

Today I'm taking us on a space, art and space-art journey. Because, I've been thinking about how when William Shatner recently went up to space in Bezos' rocket, he saw in real life what he had always pretended to see on TV: space and the final frontier. But to his shock and horror, he...sort of hated it: At least he hated the outer space view. He quaked in the face of all that vast emptiness and ended up with a new appreciation for our warm "Mother" Earth.

I.e. "Beam me down, Scotty."

And in this way, I think an artist could adopt a William Shatner in Space ideology: and try to appreciate the gifts we each have right now (time, space, adequate health, and freedom to create), versus caving into the dark matter horrors of compare & despair, and worry over not achieving the right career benchmarks.

Artists/Works mentioned: "The Creation of the World and the Expulsion from Paradise" by Giovanni di Paolo (1445), "Galaxy (Hydra)" Vija Celmins (1974), "The Moon Museum" Robert Rauschenberg, David Novros, John Chamberlain, Claes Oldenburg, Forrest Myers and Andy Warhol (Possibly sent on the Apollo 12 Moon Mission-1969), "The Wave" by Astronaut, Nicole Stott (2009)

William Shatner's book: "Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder"

Frank White's book: "The Overview Effect"

More about Astronaut, Nicole Stott's first-ever painting in space: http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-070816b-astronaut-artist-nicole-stott.html

More about The Moon Museum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Museum

Thank you for listening!

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Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

Ep 73: Some Thoughts on Drawing (Part 2) Aug 16, 2024

Show notes

We're back!

This is the second part of our deep dive on drawing. I asked my artist-guests: Jennifer Coates, David Humphrey and Catherine Haggarty to bring along a fave drawing from art history to share and describe what "drew" them to it (please forgive the pun). It was so fun to see what they selected.

See images of all of the works on IG @peptalksforartists

The drawings discussed were:

1) "The Grotto of Neptune in Tivoli" ca 1640 by Claude Lorrain

2) Rocks near the caves above Château Noir (Rochers à Bibémus) 1895/00 by Paul Cézanne, Watercolor on paper 18¼ by 12 in.

3) "Moon and Clouds" 1945 by George Ault

4) Ledger Drawing ca. 1875-78 attributed to William Cohoe, Cheyenne, Central Plains, Inscribed "Cheyenne Soldiers"

Find my guests online here:

David Humprhrey: ⁠web⁠ and ⁠IG⁠

Jennifer Coates: ⁠web⁠ and ⁠IG⁠

Catherine Haggarty: ⁠web⁠ and ⁠IG⁠

See more Ledger Drawings at DonaldEllisGallery.com:

https://www.donaldellisgallery.com/offerings/plains-indian-drawings

Artists also mentioned: Georges Seurat ("Monkey"), Alexander Cozens, Caspar David Friedrich, Julia Gleich (choreographer)

Books mentioned: "Lake Superior" by Lorine Niedecker, "Keeping Time: Plains Indian Ledger Drawings 1865-1900" (pub by Donald Ellis Gallery)

Catherine's show "Just Drawing" online at Geary Contemporary: ⁠https://geary.nyc/exhibition/just-drawing-catherine-haggarty/

You can watch the original IG Live video of my guests' panel talk at Geary here: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9qMilKRs-f/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==⁠⁠

Thank you for listening!

All music by Soundstripe

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Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks Website: ⁠https://www.peptalksforartists.com/⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy's website: ⁠https://www.amytalluto.com/⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

Ep 72: Some Thoughts on Drawing (Part 1) Aug 16, 2024

Show notes

Join me and my guests: Jennifer Coates, David Humphrey and Catherine Haggarty as we discuss the topic of Drawing this week. This discussion was broken up into 2 parts, so keep an eye out for Part 2 coming soon.

In Part 1, we discuss the drawing state of mind, drawing as a form of safety, as a tie to our primitive origins, and as a way to express the multitudes of self. We also dissect painter, Amy Sillman's analogy that Draw-ers are beavers and Painters are birds.

Find my guests online here:

David Humprhrey: web and IG

Jennifer Coates: web and IG

Catherine Haggarty: web and IG

Catherine's show "Just Drawing" online at Geary Contemporary: https://geary.nyc/exhibition/just-drawing-catherine-haggarty/

Amy Sillman's lecture "Drawing in the Continuous Present" at the Menil Collection can be watched here on youtube: https://youtu.be/BLOgc466nRk?si=RfJ8B0lSD5Sz1OF6

You can watch the original IG Live video of my guests' panel talk at Geary here: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9qMilKRs-f/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==⁠

Artists mentioned: Amy Sillman, Sun You, Gary Stephan, The paleo artists of Peche Merle Cave in France, Thomas Nozkowski, Amanda Nedham, Miranda July (interview)

Thank you for listening!

All music by Soundstripe

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Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks Website: https://www.peptalksforartists.com/

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy's website: https://www.amytalluto.com/

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!