The Create! Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Tax and Money Conversations for Sensitive Creatives with Hannah Cole of Sunlight Tax Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to the show! We are thrilled to host the incredible Hannah Cole of Sunlight Tax to talk about her new book, Taxes for Humans: A Simple Guide to the Taxes That Rule Your Life. This episode is must listen material for artists, curators, freelancers, and gallery professionals who want a kinder, clearer way to deal with money and taxes.

Hannah is an exhibiting artist turned tax professional. She shares the personal story of being dismissed by an accountant and how that experience inspired her to build a more humane, accessible approach to taxes for creatives. If you have ever felt judged, confused, or "bad with money," this conversation will feel like a deep exhale.

You will hear Hannah reframe money as a tool for good, with examples like Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, and offer encouragement for anyone who has avoided looking at their numbers out of shame or fear.

✨ Current Open Call at Create! Magazine Share your work with us for upcoming issues and opportunities here: https://www.createmagazine.co/call-for-art

In this episode, we talk about:

✍️ The inspiration behind Taxes for Humans and why Hannah put everything she teaches in her programs into one affordable, comprehensive book (just 27 dollars).

🚫 How being dismissed by an accountant pushed her to create Sunlight Tax and become an advocate for creative people who are tired of feeling talked down to.

🤯 Why the fear of "not having it together" is the number one thing creative entrepreneurs have in common and how it fuels imposter syndrome.

🎨 The artist and accountant divide, and how Hannah bridges two very different worlds so artists can step into their power as entrepreneurs.

✨ How to get good at taxes and money management while keeping your soul, your vision, and your unique creative spark.

💰 A simple mindset shift to see money as a powerful tool for impact instead of something scary or shameful.

📈 Hobby versus business, what the IRS actually looks for, and why the bar for being considered a business is much lower than most artists think.

🧾 The single most important first technical step you can take today to get organized and compliant, even if you feel behind.

Hannah's approach is a beautiful balance of order and creative chaos. She shows you that you can be a serious artist and also be excellent at money and taxes. Do not let fear keep you out of the studio or away from the career you really want.

Connect with Hannah Cole and Sunlight Tax

📚 Get the Book Taxes for Humans: A Simple Guide to the Taxes That Rule Your Life https://www.sunlighttax.com/book

🌈 Free Tax Deduction Guide Download Hannah's rainbow colored visual guide to tax deductions to print and pin above your desk: https://www.sunlighttax.com/deductionsguide

🌐 Website https://www.sunlighttax.com

📸 Instagram @sunlighttax

Finding Harmony, Gratitude, and Bringing Art into Communities with Artist Leslie Braginsky Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

We're celebrating one million downloads! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for tuning in, sharing the show, and leaving us love on iTunes. I'm so grateful to be able to share this program with you and our creative community.

In this episode of Create! Podcast, host Ekaterina Popova sits down with Colombian artist and designer Leslie Braginsky to talk about gratitude, harmony, and the beauty of bringing art into communities.

Leslie shares her inspiring journey from Colombia to the U.S., how gratitude shaped her perspective as an artist and mother, and how she began creating inclusive, meditative coloring books that celebrate women of all backgrounds and body types.

Together, Kat and Leslie discuss how to reconnect with creativity for joy—not just productivity—and how to create harmony between art, business, and life. Leslie also shares how she's using art to build connection in her local community through collaborative coloring gatherings.

Before the interview, Kat reflects on balance and alignment and invites artists to submit their work to Create! Magazine's Winter Solstice 2026 Print Issue, curated by Sarah Potter, celebrating transformation, renewal, and light through the dark.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

How gratitude can transform your creative practice
Finding beauty and self-acceptance through art
The importance of making art for joy, not just results
How to bring art into your community and create meaningful connections
Leslie's story of healing, motherhood, and creative flow

Links Mentioned:

✨ Submit to the Winter Solstice 2026 Issue: https://www.createmagazine.co/call-for-art

🎨 Explore Create! Magazine: https://www.createmagazine.co

💖 Learn More About Leslie Braginsky: Website: https://www.the-pistils.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leslie.braginsky/ Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/lesliebraginsky

🖌️ Connect with Kat: Website: https://www.katerinapopova.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katerinaspopova

Learning to Trust Your Creativity and Falling in Love with Your Art with Carrie Schmitt Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

Inspiring episode of The Create Podcast, host Ekaterina (Kat) Popova sits down with artist, author, and creativity coach Carrie Schmitt to explore what it means to fall in love with your creativity again — to trust it, surrender to it, and let it lead you toward healing and joy.

Carrie shares her powerful story of transformation, from facing a life-threatening illness to rediscovering painting as a divine and loving force that carried her through darkness and back into light. Together, Kat and Carrie discuss creativity as a sacred relationship — one rooted in devotion, acceptance, and self-compassion rather than perfection or control.

You'll hear insights on:

Reconnecting with your creative spirit through trust and love
Letting go of judgment, pressure, and self-criticism
Finding inspiration and meaning in difficult seasons
Healing creative wounds and learning to create for joy, not approval
Viewing creativity as a living, supportive presence in your life

Carrie's book, Awakening Creativity: A Sacred Journey to Reclaim Your Inner Artist, is an invitation to remember the beauty and wisdom that flow through you every time you create.

🕊️ Mentioned in This Episode

Awakening Creativity: A Sacred Journey to Reclaim Your Inner Artist by Carrie Schmitt
Create Magazine's Winter Solstice 2026 Print Issue, curated by Sarah Potter → Submit your work: https://createmagazine.co/call-for-art
Explore micro-courses and creative business resources at https://createu.co

🎧 Connect

Follow Kat on Instagram: @katerinaspopova
Follow Create! Magazine: @createmagazine
Discover Carrie's art, retreats, and programs: https://www.carrieschmittdesign.com

Detours are Destiny: Chasing Dreams, Secret Art, and Approaching Business with Creativity with Nishant Jain (The Sneaky Artist) Oct 30, 2025

Show notes

Sometimes the most meaningful parts of our creative journey are the detours — the moments when we think we've failed or lost our way, only to realize we've discovered something new. Like a labyrinth, life guides us toward the next best thing, often better than we could have imagined.

In this episode, host Ekaterina (Kat) Popova sits down with Nishant Jain, also known as The Sneaky Artist, to talk about curiosity, permission, and finding beauty in the everyday. Nishant shares how writer's block led him to a thriving art practice, how he built a loyal global community through Substack, and why keeping secrets and creating privately can reignite your passion.

If you've ever questioned your creative direction or struggled to share your art meaningfully in the digital age, this conversation will remind you that detours are destiny — and that creativity doesn't have to be loud to be powerful.

🖋️ About the Guest

Nishant Jain is an artist, writer, and podcaster known as The Sneaky Artist. He sketches people and places in public spaces, capturing the quiet poetry of daily life. A former engineer and scientist, Nishant left academia to pursue storytelling full-time. His new book, Make Sneaky Art, invites readers to build a joyful sketchbook habit rooted in curiosity and play.

Book Tour → The (Sneaky) Book Tour
Buy the Book → Make Sneaky Art
Follow Nishant → SneakyArt Substack

✨ Episode Highlights

How creative detours become the path to purpose
Reframing failure through curiosity and exploration
Balancing art-making with building a creative business
Why keeping a "secret sketchbook" protects your voice
Building authentic connection through storytelling

Thank you to Our Sponsor

Welcome to the Jungle — Josh Brown's immersive exhibition — opens in New York City this November.

For two days only, canvases pulse with color, hidden gazes peek from the leaves, and the city transforms into something wild, alive, and untamed.

📍 147 Broome St, NYC 🗓️ November 14–16

Join Josh Brown's studio list at joshbrownart.com for RSVP access, collector previews, and behind-the-scenes as the jungle comes to life.

Interested in sponsoring The Create! Podcast or advertising with Create! Magazine? Contact alicia@createmagazine.com for information and options.

💖 About the Host

Ekaterina Popova is an artist, certified master coach, and founder of Create! Magazine and Create U. Through her podcast and platforms, she helps artists and visionaries build joyful, sustainable careers on their own terms.

Explore: createmagazine.co
Learn: www.createu.co
Read: Create! Substack https://createmagazine.substack.com
Follow: @katerinaspopova @createmagazine

Sneaky Ways Your Ego is Sabotaging Your Growth (and How to Shift It) + Q&A with Kat Oct 24, 2025

Show notes

Hello, beautiful souls. Welcome back to The Create! Podcast with me, your host, Kat. In today's episode, I'm diving into a topic that's been deeply present in my own creative journey — the sneaky ways our ego can sabotage our growth and how to shift it.

Our ego often shows up in disguise: through comparison, fear, doubt, or even the desire to "grow too fast." It's that part of us that tells us we need a certain number to feel safe or successful, that we "should be further ahead," or that our current progress isn't enough. I'll share how these patterns have shown up in my own business and art career — and the lessons I learned while reclaiming gratitude, trust, and presence in the process.

Then, I'll be answering your amazing questions from our Create! community over at @createmagazine broadcast channel, including:

How to handle taxes or debt while starting your creative business
What to do during slower art seasons and how to prepare for them
How to navigate criticism from friends or other artists
And how to start attracting more collectors and buyers on social media

Before we dive in, a quick reminder that enrollment is now open for my live coaching program, The Art of Money — a six-week experience designed to help you release money blocks, rewrite your money story, and step into a new level of abundance and confidence as a creative entrepreneur. We begin November 4, and I would love to guide you through this next chapter.

👉 Join here: www.thecreatecollective.com/money

You can also explore Create! Magazine, discover featured artists, and stay inspired at www.createmagazine.co

If this episode resonates, share it with a creative friend, tag me on Instagram @katerinaspopova, and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a new release.

Thank you so much for tuning in — I'm so grateful for you. If this episode resonates, please leave us a review on iTunes, it means the world!

How to Build Unshakable Belief in Yourself and a Healthy Money Mindset with Emily Williams Oct 19, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, host Ekaterina Popova talks with coach and author Emily Williams, founder of I Heart My Life and creator of the I Heart Money Method. Emily shares how belief fuels action, how to move through comparison and setbacks, and how simple micro upgrades can shift your relationship with abundance. This is a grounded conversation for artists and creative entrepreneurs who want growth without burnout.

💡 What You'll Learn

How to generate belief before results Practical ways to move through fear, doubt, and comparison Micro upgrades that shift money mindset without overspending Turning setbacks into leadership and service Blending simple strategy with mindset for sustainable growth

🔗 Links

Join Art of Money Coaching with Kat → https://thecreatecollective.com/money Create! Magazine → https://www.createmagazine.com Ekaterina Popova on Instagram → @katerinaspopova Create! Magazine on Instagram → @createmagazine Emily Williams Website → https://www.iheartmylife.com Emily on Instagram → @emilywilliams The I Heart My Life Show Podcast → Listen on Apple Podcasts

Facing the Haunted House of Our Finances: How to Release the Ghosts Holding Creatives Back from Success and Abundance with Kat Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

Hello, beautiful friends. It's spooky season, with cold mornings, hot coffee, and time to face the real ghosts that haunt artists and creative entrepreneurs: scarcity, unworthiness, dabbling, and fear of expansion.

In this episode, we walk room by room through the haunted house of money. Kat shares practical tools, mindset reframes, and nervous system rituals to help you release fear, build self-trust, and transform your financial story into fertile ground for growth.

Nothing is wasted. Even past mistakes can become compost for future abundance.

In This Episode

The ghost of scarcity and how to feel safe in success
The phantom of unworthiness that hides behind perfectionism
The spirit of dabbling and how to replace distraction with devotion
The fear of expansion and how to stay grounded while growing
Practical rituals for safety, clarity, and abundance

Listen If You Want To

Stop letting money anxiety control your art practice
Reconnect with your creativity as a source of abundance
Learn how to regulate your nervous system when success feels scary
Feel empowered to charge your worth and grow sustainably

Join The Art of Money

If you're ready to heal your relationship with money, worth, and abundance, join Kat's live group program:

👉 The Art of Money: A Six-Week Coaching Program for Artists and Creatives

Inside this experience, you will:

Identify and release money blocks and old stories
Build financial safety and self-trust
Create practical structure for your creative income
Learn tools to manage and grow your money with ease

Program runs November through December. Spaces are limited.

Connect & Learn More

🌐 Create! Magazine — Read new artist features, open calls, and creative career articles. 📚 Create! U Courses — Explore micro-courses for artists and creative entrepreneurs. 💌 Subscribe to Create! Dispatch on Substack — Weekly essays, artist spotlights, and creative business advice. 🎨 Follow Kat on Instagram — Daily art, inspiration, and behind-the-scenes updates.

Disclaimer

This episode is for educational and coaching purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or tax advice. Always consult a licensed professional for personalized guidance.

Meet Your Shadow: How to Go Deeper in Your Creative Practice with Chelsey Pippin Mizzi Oct 06, 2025

Show notes

In this week's episode, Kat is joined by Chelsey Pippin Mizzi, author of The Shadow Path, to explore how shadow work can deepen your creative process and bring more honesty and depth into your art. Together, they discuss how the parts of ourselves we often avoid might hold the key to the work we're truly meant to make.

Discover gentle, practical ways to meet your shadow through tarot, dream journaling, and ritual—and learn how to see this work as a safe retreat rather than a confrontation.

🌒 Highlights

What shadow work is and what it isn't
How to meet and name your shadow with curiosity and compassion
The creative power of what's hidden: why your "shadow" often holds your best ideas
A gentle 10-week structure for working through The Shadow Path
How shadow work can help you reconnect with authenticity, depth, and creative flow
One simple daily practice to begin integrating your shadow today

🔮 Resources Mentioned

The Shadow Path by Chelsey Pippin Mizzi
Tarot for Creativity and The Tarot Spreads Yearbook by Chelsey Pippin Mizzi
Tarot for Change by Jessica Dore
The Artist's Way and The Listening Path by Julia Cameron
The Artemisian — an educator and writer guiding inner work through archetypal studies and Jungian psychology, offering structured yet intuitive frameworks and tools for personal growth
Jungian Online courses on self-portraiture and shadow work
Upcoming Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow by Shannon of The Tarot Diagnosis
Chelsey's website: tarotforcreativity.com
Substack: The Shuffle
Instagram: @pipcardstarot

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