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.

  1. Aug 18

    Episode 27: Retiring as an Artist, Marketing Your Work & Finding Time to Create

    A little podcast note: there won’t be an episode of The Creative Couch next week as I’m away for ten days and taking a short break. I’ll be back the following week with another three creative dilemmas. In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas exploring what it means to retire as an artist, how to market your work when you really don’t enjoy marketing, and what happens when a demanding working life leaves very little energy for your own creative practice. The first dilemma asks a question we perhaps don’t talk about enough: can you retire from being an artist? When making art has been such a significant part of your identity, what happens if you no longer feel the same drive to keep producing, exhibiting or pursuing opportunities? We explore the difference between retiring from the professional machinery around being an artist and actually stopping being creative, why our relationship with our work is allowed to change as we get older, and whether stepping away might sometimes be an evolution rather than an ending. Sophie wants to get her artwork out into the world, but there’s one fairly significant problem: she really doesn’t want to spend her time marketing herself. Like so many artists, she would much rather be making the work than continually thinking about Instagram, promotion and selling. We explore whether being a working artist really does mean becoming a full-time marketer, how to find forms of promotion that feel sustainable and natural, and why marketing doesn’t necessarily have to mean constantly shouting about yourself online. Anne-Maree works full-time as a teacher and desperately wants to make more of her own artwork, but by the time she has finished giving her energy to her job, she often feels she has very little left for herself. She is questioning whether she is genuinely too tired to make work or whether, somewhere along the way, she has started getting in her own way. We look at the reality of creative exhaustion, the danger of waiting for the perfect conditions to make art, and how small, protected pockets of creative time can help rebuild a practice without turning it into yet another obligation. Also in this episode, I share this week’s Loving Lately: The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett, which I listened to on Audible and absolutely loved. It’s funny, heartfelt and quite dark, full of wonderfully flawed and complicated people, and I found it completely absorbing. In this episode, we explore: • What it might actually mean to retire as an artist • Why our creative identity is allowed to change over time • The difference between stepping away from an art career and giving up creativity • How to market your artwork when you really dislike marketing • Why promotion doesn’t have to mean constantly posting on social media • Finding ways of sharing your work that actually suit your personality • The difficulty of maintaining a creative practice alongside full-time teaching • The difference between genuine exhaustion and creative avoidance • Why waiting until you have more time or energy can keep a practice permanently on hold • How very small amounts of regular studio time can begin to rebuild momentum • Why our creative lives need to be able to change alongside the rest of our lives Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas you can apply to your own creative practice. A little podcast note: there won’t be an episode of The Creative Couch next week as I’m away for ten days and taking a short break. I’ll be back the following week with another three creative dilemmas. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.

  2. Aug 11

    Episode 26: Rejection, Finding Your Style & Protecting Studio Time

    In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Kate, Anabelle and Ruth, exploring rejection, artistic identity, finding your style, rebuilding confidence and learning to protect your creative time. Kate has spent the last six months trying to turn her lino printing into something more professional. She has created an Etsy shop and website, approached stockists and applied to craft and print fairs, but so far has had very little response. At the same time, she has accepted a well-paid corporate job, despite knowing that what she really wants is to become a full-time artist. The lack of sales and opportunities has begun to feel like evidence that perhaps nobody wants her work, while visiting galleries and exhibitions leaves her longing to be part of an art world that can feel frustratingly exclusive. We explore the difference between rejection and information, why six months is such a short period in the life of an artistic practice, and why sometimes the next step after making work is not selling it, but simply making more work. Anabelle studied art when she was younger but walked away from it twenty years ago after a difficult experience at university left her questioning her creativity. More recently, she has begun drawing again and challenging the story she has told herself for years that she is simply not a creative person. But after one drawing failed to live up to her expectations, she stopped working in her sketchbook altogether and is now questioning what she should draw, whether she should pursue realism or something looser, and how she is supposed to develop her own artistic style. We discuss why style is something that emerges through practice rather than something we choose in advance, how one disappointing drawing can reactivate very old beliefs, and why having a structure to follow can help us stop overthinking and simply keep turning up. Ruth has spent years teaching and supporting other people creatively and is now consciously trying to create more space for her own artistic practice. She wants to protect regular studio time, but struggles with how to describe that time to family and to herself. Calling it “work” feels uncomfortable when she is not currently exhibiting or selling, yet calling it anything softer seems to make it feel negotiable. We explore imposter syndrome, why unpaid studio practice is still work, the importance of treating creative time with the same seriousness as any other professional commitment, and how the boundaries we create around our practice teach other people how to respect it too. Also in this episode, I share this week’s Loving Lately: Finland Airport. After travelling through Helsinki recently, I was struck by how calm, considered and genuinely enjoyable the whole experience felt. It was one of those places that made travelling feel surprisingly easy, and I absolutely loved it. In this episode, we explore: • What rejection can and cannot tell us about our artwork • Why six months is a very short time to judge a creative career • The difference between being an artist and earning your entire income from art • Why the art world can feel exclusive when you're standing on the outside looking in • How old creative criticism can continue to shape the stories we tell ourselves • Why one unsuccessful drawing is not evidence that you should stop • How artistic style develops through practice rather than being chosen in advance • Why structure can help when you feel directionless in your creative practice • Why studio time is still work, even when nobody is paying you for it • How protecting your creative time helps other people learn to respect it • Why consistency often matters more than waiting for inspiration Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.

  3. Aug 4

    Episode 25: Creative Chat with Sarah Jane Moon | Portraiture, Teaching & Creativity

    In this episode of The Creative Couch, I sit down with the wonderful artist and portrait painter Sarah Jane Moon for a relaxed and thoughtful conversation about creativity, portraiture and building a life as an artist. Originally from Wellington, New Zealand, Sarah Jane shares the story of how she moved to the UK, found her way into painting without a traditional Fine Art degree, and gradually established herself as one of today's leading contemporary portrait painters. Along the way, we talk about the realities of balancing a professional painting practice with teaching, the importance of finding your creative community, and how a creative career is often built through curiosity, persistence and a willingness to keep learning. We also discuss what portraiture can reveal about the people we paint, how teaching can both support and challenge your own creative practice, and why there is no single route into becoming a successful artist. In this episode, we explore: • Sarah Jane's journey from New Zealand to London • Finding your way into painting without a Fine Art degree • Building a creative career one step at a time • Balancing teaching with your own artistic practice • The importance of creative community and surrounding yourself with other artists • Portraiture, observation and painting people with honesty and sensitivity • How an artist's practice naturally evolves over time • The realities of making a sustainable living as a professional artist Whether you're just beginning your creative journey or have been making work for years, this conversation is full of thoughtful reflections on creativity, artistic growth and what it really means to build a life around making art. You can find Sarah Jane on Instagram at: @sarah_jane_moon You can also find her work at: www.sarahjanemoon.com If you'd like to submit a creative dilemma for a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at: @sammarshallart

  4. Jul 28

    Episode 24: Success, Grief & Creative Overwhelm

    In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Kate, Susan and Coralie, exploring creative success, grief, burnout, overwhelm and how to protect the joy of making when life and work begin placing too many demands upon it. Kate returned to painting during lockdown after a twenty-year break from creativity. What began as a joyful, private practice gradually became a successful full-time career, with books, products, licensing opportunities and a large online audience. From the outside, she appears to be living the dream, but success has started to feel more like pressure than pleasure. We explore what happens when the artist and the brand become almost indistinguishable, why every launch can begin to feel like a verdict on your entire career, and how to create space for experimentation when creativity has become responsible for your income, identity and public success. Susan has spent approximately seven years caring for her parents while holding onto plans to develop her art practice and create a small business. Following the sudden death of her mother in May, she now has more time but feels lost, guilty and unable to enter her studio. At 64, she is telling herself there is no time to waste, but the urgency is leaving her frozen. We discuss why caring responsibilities were never an excuse, how grief can make new freedom feel more like absence, and why returning to creativity may need to happen gently, through the back door rather than the front. Coralie works digitally in animation, is developing a personal game project with her husband and is also caring for a very young baby. After revisiting The Artist’s Way, she has rediscovered her love of charcoal, coloured pencil, graphite, plein-air painting and paper miniatures. The excitement feels wonderful, but it quickly becomes overwhelming as she tries to turn every interest into a project or connect it to her professional work. We explore the difference between enthusiasm and capacity, why renewed creative energy after burnout needs to be protected, and how traditional materials might become a small place for play rather than another demanding part of her working life. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: Languages of Loss by Sasha Bates. The book follows Bates as she navigates the sudden death of her husband, drawing on both her personal experience of grief and her work as a psychotherapist. I’ve been reading it partly to educate myself about grief, but it has also been helping me process the recent death of my friend Frances and think about how I can best support her wife Carly, who is one of my closest friends. In this episode, we explore: • Why success can begin to feel like pressure rather than pleasure • What happens when the artist and the creative brand become difficult to separate • Why every launch does not need to become a verdict on your entire career • How people pleasing can shape the work we make and the opportunities we accept • Why caring for somebody is never simply an excuse for not progressing • How grief can make newly available time feel like absence rather than freedom • Why telling yourself there is no time to waste can leave you unable to begin • How to return to the studio gently after loss • The difference between creative excitement and genuine capacity • Why every new interest does not need to become a project • How to protect renewed creative energy after burnout • Why creativity sometimes needs to remain private, playful and deliberately unproductive Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore in a future episode, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you’re feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.

  5. Jul 21

    Episode 23: Solo Exhibitions, Returning to Art & Creative Uncertainty

    In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Craig, Anouk and Linda, exploring artistic permission, returning to creativity after a long absence and building a creative life alongside chronic illness. Craig is a collage artist from Philadelphia who has completed an ambitious series of fifty bird collages. Although collectors are eager to buy the work, he's holding back because he dreams of exhibiting the entire collection in a solo exhibition. After approaching galleries without success, he's wondering whether organising his own exhibition would somehow make it less legitimate. We explore who gets to decide when an artist is ready, the difference between external validation and creative agency, and why sometimes the opportunities we wait for are the ones we're capable of creating ourselves. Anouk studied Fine Art after discovering a love of printmaking during her foundation course. But after feeling pressure at university to move away from work that seemed too illustrative, she gradually lost confidence and drifted away from making art altogether. Twenty years later she's rediscovering drawing and feels torn between returning to drypoint or embracing linocut. We discuss learning to trust your creative instincts again, why creativity rarely disappears completely, and whether becoming an artist is less about finding the perfect medium and more about consistently returning to the work. Linda has been living with chronic illness for more than a decade. Art has become a source of purpose, friendship and identity after having to step away from her previous career, but an uncertain benefits reassessment means she's unsure how to move her creative practice forwards without risking the financial support she relies upon. We explore what it means to build a creative life during seasons of uncertainty, how to balance security with ambition, and why laying creative foundations is never the same as standing still. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: Clearabee. With all the building work and studio renovations happening here recently, they've made clearing bulky waste remarkably easy. I also really appreciate their commitment to recycling and diverting as much waste as possible from landfill. In this episode, we explore: • Why waiting for permission can hold us back creatively  • Whether organising your own exhibition makes it any less legitimate  • The difference between external validation and creative agency  • How to rebuild confidence after stepping away from art for many years  • Why creativity often finds different outlets, even when we're not making art  • Whether you really need to choose one artistic medium over another  • How chronic illness can reshape identity and creative purpose  • Why it's impossible to plan for every uncertain future  • The importance of laying creative foundations, even when life feels on hold  • Why becoming an artist is something we do through making, not something we're eventually allowed to call ourselves Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.

  6. Jul 14

    Episode 22: Talking About Your Art, Saying No & Finding Your Style

    Editor's note: During Della's dilemma I accidentally referred to her as "Bella" several times. My sincere apologies, Della. It was a genuine slip during recording, and I'm very grateful to you for sending in such a thoughtful question. In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Penny, Helen and Della, exploring talking about your artwork, setting creative boundaries and finding your artistic style. Penny is preparing for her very first open studio after years of creating mixed media work. She's not worried about whether her artwork is good enough or how to price it. Instead, she's anxious about something many artists quietly dread: talking about it. We explore the difference between talking about your work and explaining it, why viewers don't always need definitive answers, and how conversations about art can become much richer when we invite other people to bring their own experiences to the work. Helen is a professional artist whose realistic drawings have helped her build a successful creative career. Alongside creating and selling her work, she also teaches, but she's realised she's developed a habit of saying yes to almost every opportunity that comes her way. We discuss why the habits that help us build a creative career don't always help us sustain one, how to become more intentional about saying yes, and why protecting time for your own creative practice is every bit as important as creating new opportunities. Della is a self-taught linocut artist who has spent the last six or seven years developing her printmaking practice. Recently she's found herself worrying about whether she has a recognisable artistic style, while at the same time becoming increasingly frustrated that her more ambitious prints don't always match the images she has in her imagination. We explore why style is often something that finds us rather than something we consciously create, the gap between our eye and our ability, and why spending more time drawing may be one of the best ways to become a stronger printmaker. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: the Paul Noble language courses. As I continue learning Japanese, I reflect on why his calm, encouraging approach has made language learning feel so enjoyable and why his courses might be worth exploring if you've ever wanted to learn a language yourself. In this episode, we explore: • Why talking about your artwork doesn't mean explaining it • How to have more natural conversations with people viewing your work • Why artists don't need to have all the answers • The difference between building a creative career and sustaining one • Why saying yes to every opportunity can eventually hold you back • How to make more intentional decisions about your time and energy • Why artistic style is something you discover rather than design • The gap between your artistic eye and your current ability • How observational drawing can quietly make you a stronger printmaker • Why growing as an artist often means becoming more discerning, not more certain Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.

  7. Jul 7

    Episode 21: Exhibiting, Printing & Opting Out

    In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to four thoughtful creative dilemmas from Jen, Laura, Sheena and Nikky, exploring art appreciation, printmaking, selling artwork, creative identity and the complicated relationship between creativity and success. Jen is preparing for an exhibition in her own studio later this year and has been reflecting on the difference between how artists are taught to critique and discuss artwork and how the wider public often experiences it. Beyond "I like it" or "It's not really my thing", many visitors seem unsure how to respond at all. We explore whether artists can create opportunities for richer conversations around their work, why so many people feel intimidated by art, and whether perhaps nobody ever really taught us how to look. Laura is a printmaker and collage artist who is considering opening an Etsy shop or online store and is wondering whether to invest in printing her own reproductions or work with a professional printer instead. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches, the questions worth asking when choosing a printer, and why you don't necessarily need to build tomorrow's business before you've made today's sales. Sheena joined one of my drypoint workshops last year and has since been happily printing editions from traditional lino. Her dilemma is one that many printmakers quietly wonder about: how do you know when it's time to stop, clean the block and start again? We talk about trusting what the print itself is telling you, the myth of the secret printmaking rulebook, and why experience often matters more than formulas. Nikky spent several years building a successful creative practice alongside a demanding full-time career, taking commissions, selling work and exhibiting regularly. But somewhere along the way, the joy disappeared and the thing that had once been a refuge became another source of pressure and expectation. After stepping away from selling her work, she found herself rediscovering the pleasure of making art simply for herself. We explore the pressure to monetise our creativity, the assumption that every artist should aspire to work full time, and whether success might sometimes mean protecting our relationship with creativity rather than growing it. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: the Paul Noble language courses. As I prepare for a week of intensive Japanese study in London, I reflect on the role his gentle and encouraging approach has played in my own language learning journey and why they might be worth exploring if you've ever wanted to learn a language yourself. In this episode, I explore: • Why so many people feel intimidated by art and unsure how to respond to it • How artists can encourage richer conversations around their work • The difference between judging art and experiencing it • The advantages and disadvantages of printing your own reproductions • The questions worth asking before choosing a professional printer • Why you don't need to build tomorrow's business before you've made today's sales • The myth of the secret printmaking rulebook • How to know when your lino block is telling you it needs attention • The pressure to monetise creativity and turn passions into businesses • Whether becoming a full-time artist should always be the end goal • Why protecting your relationship with creativity may sometimes matter more than growing it • What it really means to call yourself an artist 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 If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.

  8. Jun 30

    Episode 20: Creativity After Crisis, New Studio & Interrupted Practice

    In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Grace, Mary Lou and Kelly, exploring creativity after crisis, returning to the studio after major life changes, chronic illness, momentum, artistic identity and the spaces we create around our work. Grace wrote in after her seven-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes earlier this year. After months of hospital appointments, sleepless nights and constant vigilance, she has found herself returning to the studio feeling like a different person. A large woodcut she began before the diagnosis no longer feels as though it belongs to her, and she finds herself questioning her instincts and worrying more about what other people think of her work. We explore what happens when the mindset of monitoring and control follows us into the studio, the difference between play and curiosity, and whether creativity sometimes needs shelter before it needs an audience. Mary Lou is preparing to move back to Canada after several years living and making work in Belgium. Alongside shipping containers, boxes and studio equipment, she'll also be reunited with years of older work and materials waiting in storage. She's wondering how to approach setting up a new studio and creative routine without becoming overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff surrounding her. We discuss how old work can act as research rather than clutter, why some work quietly finishes its role in our lives, and how to create a studio that supports the artist you've become rather than the artist you used to be. Kelly lives with a chronic pain condition affecting her hand, meaning periods of painting and making are often interrupted by flare-ups and surgery. She finds herself repeatedly losing momentum and struggling to find her way back into projects after time away from the studio. We talk about the difference between a creative practice built around consistency and one built to survive interruption, the idea of grieving momentum, and how to leave a breadcrumb trail back into your work for future versions of yourself. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: The Daffodil Years by Helen Bain, a beautifully written fictional account of Sylvia Plath's later life in rural Devon that explores the woman behind the mythology and offers a quieter, more human portrait of one of literature's most iconic figures. In this episode, I explore: • What happens when a period of crisis or vigilance follows us into the studio • The difference between play, curiosity and creative freedom • Why creativity sometimes needs shelter before it needs an audience • How to honour older work whilst making space for who you're becoming • How moving countries or studios can become an opportunity for reflection and reinvention • Why old work can be a form of research rather than simply storage • How to create a studio that supports the artist you are now • The difference between a creative practice built around consistency and one built to survive interruption • Why some artists may be grieving momentum rather than losing motivation • Practical ways to return to projects after unexpected breaks and interruptions 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 If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.

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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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