The Creative Couch with Sam Marshall

Sam Marshall

The Creative Couch is a podcast about creativity, doubt, and finding your own way of making work. Hosted by artist and coach Sam Marshall, it’s a place to talk honestly about making work, staying connected to creativity, and building confidence over time.

Episodes

  1. 1 HR AGO

    Episode 8: Copyright, Creative Travel and Going Viral

    In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Liz, Ziva and Lucy – exploring ownership and boundaries online, creativity through travel, and what happens when success starts to feel like a trap. Liz has been sharing her embroidery and stitch work online and has recently discovered her images being shared on Pinterest without permission or credit. While part of her feels flattered that her work is resonating, she’s also uncomfortable with how it’s being used. How do you navigate the tension between visibility and ownership, and decide whether to ignore it, address it, or take action? Ziva is a landscape architect who discovered ceramics through an unstructured journey in Japan. Now she’s questioning whether future creative trips should be planned with intention or left open to unfold naturally. How do you balance structure and spontaneity, and create the right conditions for creativity to emerge while travelling? Lucy is a mixed media artist whose account grew rapidly after one piece of work went viral. What once felt like a small, connected community now feels overwhelming, and the work that brought her success no longer feels aligned with her practice. How do you move on from the thing that “worked”, especially when it might mean losing followers, engagement, or a sense of security? In this episode, I explore: • The tension between being seen and having control over your work online  • When to set boundaries and how to respond when your work is shared without permission  • Why creativity doesn’t come from a lack of planning, but from attention and openness  • How to balance structure and spontaneity when travelling creatively  • What happens when success becomes pressure, and how to recognise when you’ve outgrown it  • Letting go of numbers, expectations, and audiences that no longer align with your practice Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com

    37 min

  2. 4 DAYS AGO

    Episode 7: Too Many Ideas, Letting Go of Old Work and Finding Time to Draw

    In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Lucille, Siobhan and Sam – exploring creative paralysis, letting go of old work, and how to build a meaningful practice in very limited time. Lucille has a rich and varied creative life, working across drawing, printmaking, basket weaving and decorative painting. But instead of feeling energised by her ideas, she often feels paralysed by them. She finds herself starting work and abandoning it when it doesn’t match what she imagined, and questioning the point of making anything if it isn’t going to be sold or gifted. How do you move forward when creativity starts to feel tied to purpose, pressure and past experiences? Siobhan’s dilemma is about what happens after the work is made. After decades of keeping sketchbooks, studies and prints, she now feels surrounded by accumulated work and unsure what to keep, what to let go of, and whether photographing everything is the answer. How do you balance memory, sentimentality and space without becoming overwhelmed by your own archive? Sam is balancing a creative practice alongside work and raising two young children, often drawing in short windows of time. While she’s consistent, she feels stuck with repetitive subject matter and struggles to move her sketchbook work into something more developed. How do you find engaging subject matter, move beyond safe motifs, and build depth when time and energy are limited? In this episode, I explore: • Why creativity can become tied to outcome, and how to reclaim making for its own sake  • How past experiences and judgement can shape the way we approach our work  • Letting go of old artwork without losing your sense of creative identity  • How to keep a meaningful archive without becoming overwhelmed  • Finding more engaging subject matter within tight time constraints  • Simple ways to move from sketchbook work into more developed ideas Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com

    34 min

  3. 24 MAR

    Episode 6: Drawing in Public, Getting Started and Taking Yourself Seriously

    In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Julie, Caroline and Kerry – exploring how to handle being watched while drawing in public, how to get started when you suddenly have all the equipment, and how to stop postponing taking yourself seriously as an artist. Julie has recently started drawing outside and quickly discovered something many sketchers experience. As soon as you sit down with a sketchbook in public, people become curious. They stop, they look, and they ask what you’re drawing. She noticed that in those moments she instinctively starts apologising for her work, even though she thought she felt quite confident. Why does drawing in public feel so vulnerable, and how do you handle those interactions without undermining yourself? Caroline has been given a Hawthorn printing press. She’s done lino workshops in the past and has plenty of ideas saved, but now that the press is sitting in her studio she feels overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. How do you move past that feeling of “all the gear and no idea” and actually start enjoying the process of making again? Kerry describes something many creatives quietly carry. From the outside, it looks as though she already has a creative practice. She makes work regularly, she thinks about it constantly, and it matters deeply to her. But internally she feels as though she hasn’t quite arrived yet, telling herself she’ll take her work seriously once she’s more organised, more skilled, more consistent. How do you stop postponing your creative life and begin inhabiting it now? In this episode, I explore: • Why drawing in public can feel vulnerable, and how to handle being watched  • Letting go of apologising for your work and building quiet confidence  • How to get started when you have the tools but feel overwhelmed  • The importance of play and experimentation in printmaking  • Why creative identity is built through action, not arrival Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com

    26 min

  4. 17 MAR

    Episode 5: Multiple Jobs, Creative Loneliness and Changing Direction

    In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Helen, Sue and Liz – exploring how to organise a creative life when you have multiple roles, how to navigate a shift in your artistic direction, and how to find creative community when making work alone starts to feel lonely. Helen wrote in after listening to the first episodes and asked a question many creatives will recognise. Like many artists, she doesn’t just have one job. Her week includes teaching, administration, communication and making her own work. How do you structure your days so that creative work doesn’t constantly get pushed aside by everything else that needs doing? Liz’s dilemma touches on something many artists feel but rarely say out loud: loneliness in the studio. She used to attend a wonderful weekly textile course where students learned alongside each other and were even working towards a shared exhibition. When Covid arrived the group dissolved and never quite reassembled. Since then she has taken online courses, but they never quite replace the feeling of being in a room with other creatives. How do you rebuild real creative community in a world that increasingly feels online? Sue has built a strong practice around one particular medium. Over the years she has become known for this way of working, and importantly the work sells. She has collectors who buy it and a gallery that regularly takes pieces from her. But recently she has felt a strong pull towards something completely different. How do you know whether a new direction is a genuine evolution in your practice, or simply a distraction that could destabilise something you’ve spent years building? In this episode, I explore: • How to structure your time when you have multiple creative roles  • Protecting studio time from admin and teaching work  • Navigating the tension between artistic evolution and financial stability  • Why creative practices naturally shift over time  • Practical ways to rebuild creative community and companionship Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore, please email me at thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com

    34 min

  5. 9 MAR

    Episode 4: Creative Blocks, Too Many Ideas and the Fear of Peaking

    In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Chinju, Catherine (with a nod to Siobhan, who sent in a very similar question) and Jane – each exploring creative block, creative overwhelm and the fear that your best work may already be behind you. Chinju is a busy mum who hasn’t drawn regularly for many years. She feels a deep pull to return to drawing, but when she opens her sketchbook she freezes. The blank page feels intimidating and comparison with other artists creeps in. How do you begin again when creativity feels important but life is already full? Catherine loves exploring different creative processes – from watercolour sketching and lino printing to quilting and other making. Siobhan wrote in with a very similar dilemma. With so many ideas and interests pulling in different directions, how do you focus your energy and actually finish the work you start? Jane has made a body of work over the past couple of years that she feels really proud of. But alongside that pride has come an uncomfortable question: what if I’ve already peaked? How do you move forward when you’re worried you might never make work as strong again? In this episode, I explore: • Returning to creativity after a long pause  • How to work with curiosity without becoming overwhelmed  • Why the fear of “peaking” often appears at moments of growth  • Practical ways to keep moving forward in your creative practice Each dilemma is unpacked gently, with both emotional insight and clear, practical homework you can try in your own practice. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore, please email me at thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com

    34 min

  6. 3 MAR

    Episode 3: Creative Identity, Overwhelm & Open Calls

    In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Jenny, Becky and Liza – each exploring identity, overwhelm and how we move forward with courage in our creative lives. Jenny did an art degree but hasn’t made work for years. When someone close to her questioned whether she should still call herself creative, it struck a nerve. Can you claim a creative identity if you’re not actively producing work? What actually defines a creative life? Becky is starting again after years of not prioritising her practice. She’s full of ideas and ambition, but paralysed by wanting to do everything at once. How do you begin when the possibilities feel endless and overwhelming? Liza is navigating open calls and submissions. How do you put yourself forward without tying your self-worth to the outcome? And what’s really happening behind the scenes on judging panels? In this episode, I explore: • Creativity beyond visible output  • How to choose one idea and build momentum  • The emotional reality of rejection  • Practical ways to move forward with clarity and confidence Each dilemma is unpacked gently, with both emotional insight and clear, practical homework you can try in your own practice. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore, please email me at  thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com

    33 min

  7. 23 FEB

    Episode 2 : Staying Creative, Selling Work & Curating With Confidence

    In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Mary Ann, Liza and Melissa -  each touching on confidence, stability and how we navigate uncertainty in our creative lives. Mary Ann is struggling to stay creative when the wider world feels chaotic and overwhelming. How do you protect your practice when the news cycle, instability and external noise start to seep into your studio? Liza is considering holding a sale of past work that no longer feels like her. Does selling past work diminish the value or direction of the new work she's making?  Melissa is preparing for an exhibition and feeling out of her depth. Should her work be tightly themed? Does everything need to match? How do you curate your work without losing your voice? In this episode, I explore: • How to create stability when the world feels unsteady  • The emotional layer behind selling or clearing past work  • The difference between curation and self-doubt  • Practical steps to move forward without spiralling Each dilemma is unpacked gently, with both emotional insight and clear, practical homework you can try in your own practice. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore, email me  thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com You can listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch the full episode on YouTube via Sam Marshall Art.

    29 min

  8. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Creative Couch Podcast Trailer | Start Here

    Welcome to Creative Couch. New episodes are released weekly. (In this trailer I accidentally say daily — this is a weekly podcast.) I’m Sam Marshall — artist, printmaker, creative coach and author based in rural Northamptonshire. In this podcast, I answer real creative dilemmas and explore how to build a braver, more sustainable artistic practice. Each episode explores confidence, creative block, finding your visual language, burnout, comparison, and building a sustainable creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore, you can send it in to: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com Start with Episode 1 and let’s begin.

    2 min

  9. 16 FEB

    Episode 1: Overwhelm, Creative Doubt & Finding Your Artistic Voice

    In this first episode of The Creative Couch, I’m answering three creative dilemmas from artists at different stages of their journey. We explore: • The gap between expectation and reality, and the overwhelm that can follow  • Returning to art after a break and managing a busy, “popcorn brain”  • Finding your artistic voice and making work that genuinely feels like yours This podcast is a space for honest conversations about creativity, confidence and building a sustainable creative practice. If you’d like to send in your own creative dilemma, you can email me at thecreativepod@gmail.com

    33 min

Trailer

About

The Creative Couch is a podcast about creativity, doubt, and finding your own way of making work. Hosted by artist and coach Sam Marshall, it’s a place to talk honestly about making work, staying connected to creativity, and building confidence over time.

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