120: Mistakes Are Okay with Tania Ahmed
Apr 29, 2021
Show notes
On this episode of The Adventures in Arting Podcast, Mom and I chat with Tania Ahmed about her life in the craft industry. Tania is smart and insightful and totally down-to-earth. I really enjoyed my conversation with her and related to so much that she said and I think you will too. I didn’t want the conversation to end because there was so much to talk about.
Tania Ahmed is an art video maker and tutor based in the UK.
As a lifelong crafter, she has blended her multi crafts experience to hone her mixed media and papercraft work.
She draws her inspiration from diverse cultures, bright colors, bold graphic design, and eclectic patterns.
She has taught at several independent craft stores and workshops…
…demonstrated at international trade and consumer art and craft shows…
…been published in creative magazines, and currently designs for companies within the arts and crafts industry.
Some things we discuss on the podcast:
making videos without fancy equipment
creating daily Reels videos for instagram
setting goals
This fabulous thought from Ira Glass:
“Nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish somebody had told this to me — is that all of us who do creative work … we get into it because we have good taste. But it’s like there’s a gap, that for the first couple years that you’re making stuff, what you’re making isn’t so good, OK? It’s not that great. It’s really not that great. It’s trying to be good, it has ambition to be good, but it’s not quite that good. But your taste — the thing that got you into the game — your taste is still killer, and your taste is good enough that you can tell that what you’re making is kind of a disappointment to you, you know what I mean?
A lot of people never get past that phase. A lot of people at that point, they quit. And the thing I would just like say to you with all my heart is that most everybody I know who does interesting creative work, they went through a phase of years where they had really good taste and they could tell what they were making wasn’t as good as they wanted it to be — they knew it fell short, it didn’t have the special thing that we wanted it to have.
And the thing I would say to you is everybody goes through that. And for you to go through it, if you’re going through it right now, if you’re just getting out of that phase — you gotta know it’s totally normal.
And the most important possible thing you can do is do a lot of work — do a huge volume of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week, or every month, you know you’re going to finish one story. Because it’s only by actually going through a volume of work that you are actually going to catch up and close that gap. And the work you’re making will be as good as your ambitions. It takes a while, it’s gonna take you a while — it’s normal to take a while. And you just have to fight your way through that, okay?”
We have more great guests lined up for upcoming episodes. You can expect a new episode every other Thursday!
If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend about the show. This helps other people find the show. Thanks so much!
119: Out of the Kitchen & Into the Studio with Edva Sims
Apr 14, 2021
Show notes
On this episode of The Adventures in Arting Podcast, Mom and I chat with Edva Sims about her pottery business, finding your personal style, and the belief that things made by hand are important. Here’s a little bit about our guest, Edva:
Hi, I’m Edva! I’ve been drawing, painting, sewing and sculpting since I was a little girl.
Inspired by my mother – a Potter herself, I fell in love with clay and its ability to tell a story. I thoughtfully sculpt and hand-build each pottery piece in my studio in Los Angeles.
My upbringing and roots are heavily present in my work, I was born in Israel, grew up in South Africa and now live in Southern California.
I love incorporating bold colors and unique clay textures into my pieces. Each piece I make, is filled with positive energy, which I hope will transcend from maker to buyer.
We have more great guests lined up for upcoming episodes. You can expect a new episode every other Thursday!
If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend about the show. This helps other people find the show. Thanks so much!
118: Bust the COVID Blahs
Mar 31, 2021
Show notes
It has been several months since we’ve released a new podcast. There’s a good reason and I’ll bet that you can relate: the COVID blahs. But all hope is not lost, Mom and I have four solutions for you — ways to bust those blahs and get back to being creative.
If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend about the show. This helps other people find the show. Thanks so much!
Some things we discuss on the podcast:
The Gates. This is a photo I took of The Gates in 2005. I didn’t start blogging until 2006, so sadly there’s no blog post about it!
If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend about the show. This helps other people find the show. Thanks so much!
115: Lessons from Boot Camp
Dec 03, 2020
Show notes
Today on the podcast I’m sharing a list of five lessons from my Design Boot Camp class. I hope that you’ll find the lessons useful in your own practice. (And speaking of practice, I just started reading Seth Godin’s book, The Practice, and my brain is exploding with thoughts. Has anyone else read it?)
If you’re interested in getting on the list to be e-mailed when a new session of Design Boot Camp opens in 2021, drop me a line.
And here are our recommendations for this episode:
If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend about the show. This helps other people find the show. Thanks so much!
114: Christina’s Lino Life
Nov 12, 2020
Show notes
Today’s guest is Christina Richmond, aka Tweeny. Christina lives in Bath, and as a Jane Austen fan, I’ve always had a fantasy version of Bath in my head. We do chat about this at the top of the podcast, but then we get into the creative meat of the matter: when graphic design meets lino.
Meet Christina:
She is a designer by day, living and working in the beautiful city of Bath, and an artist-printmaker in her free time.
She has been print-making for around 9 years, mostly creating small lino prints packed full of detail.
Christina is teaching how she creates her stamp designs on her iPad in the #CarveDecember Class.
And finally, in case you’re wondering, she got the house!
Thanks for stopping by!
113: Ali of 3DottedPenguins
Nov 05, 2020
Show notes
Today’s guest is Ali Baecker of 3 Dotted Penguins. Ali is one of the talented #CarveDecemberClass teachers. We discussed how motherhood transformed her creative passion and how she got bitten by the block carving bug!
Ali of 3dottedpenguins is printmaker, educator and pattern lover based in Zurich, Switzerland.
Ever since she stumbled upon block printing and stamp carving in summer of 2018, printmaking has become her almost daily (or rather nightly) creative practice.
Ali enjoys creating repeat patterns, loves quirky fishes and other maritime designs.
She mostly block prints on paper and likes to use her block printed designs as a basis for screen prints on fabric.
A selection of 3dottedpenguins’ original block prints, screen printed textiles (such as bags and shirts) as well as cards are available for purchase.
Ali regularly teaches block printing online workshops to students around the world, both in English and German.
She is a firm believer in monthlong (and longer) challenges or creative projects as they have helped her establish a sustainable creative practice and regularly push her to try new things or deepen her block printing and pattern design skills.
Julie: Moo Cards (business and postcards) plus stickers — you can get 25% off your first order if you use THIS LINK.
112: Learning During Covid
Oct 29, 2020
Show notes
Welcome to our very first crowdsourced podcast! A while ago I asked for people to send in a short recording about their experiences with learning during the pandemic. We got eight thoughtful and interesting responses from Barbara Fox, Elizabeth Montano, Holly Thomsen Doherty, JoAnn Campisi, Joceyln Robinson, Lucia-Ann, Peggy Joyce, and Sue Carroll. Listen to what they had to say.
If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend about the show. This helps other people find the show. Thanks so much!
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ― Dr. Seuss
I truly believe that life-long learning is the key to staying vibrant. Those who never make themselves uncomfortable by being beginners cease to grow. We may be stuck at home, but whether it’s art or a language or microeconomics, there’s an endless supply of stuff to learn!
I hope you enjoyed this episode. If there are topics you’d like us to cover or guests you’d like us to invite, please let us know. Thanks for stopping by!
111: Sarah Matthew Printmaker Bookbinder
Oct 29, 2020
Show notes
Mom and I had a wonderful long chat with Sarah Matthews. I’ve seen Sarah’s colorful layered prints many times, but I didn’t know about her extensive work as a bookbinder. On the podcast we talk about creating during quarantine, YouTube, artist books, and lots more. Sarah has four girls and still manages to carve, print, or bind every single day.
If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend about the show. This helps other people find the show. Thanks so much!
Sarah Matthews is a printmaker and book artist.
Her work has been exhibited in the US and is a part of the permanent collections of Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, George Washington University’s Gelman Library, University of Puget Sound, and Samford University. She is also a YouTuber and a designer for ArtFoamies.com.
I hope you enjoyed this episode. If there are topics you’d like us to cover or guests you’d like us to invite, please let us know. Thanks for stopping by!
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
