The Create! Podcast

Ekaterina Popova
  • 4.9 (257)
  • VISUAL ARTS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Create! Podcast (formerly Art & Cocktails) is your space for inspiration, encouragement, and practical insight at the intersection of contemporary art, creative business, and mindset. Hosted by artist, coach, and Create! Magazine founder Ekaterina Popova, the show is designed to help you grow your art career, expand your creative vision, and build a sustainable, joyful life. Through candid conversations with artists, entrepreneurs, writers, curators, and thought leaders—as well as empowering solo episodes—you'll find tools, ideas, and stories that remind you that life itself is your canvas, and you have the power to create a career and future that truly supports you. Find us at www.createmagazine.co/podcast — where the conversation about art and business starts.

  1. 9H AGO

    What Survives the Fire: Larry Ossei-Mensah on Clay, Curating, and Creative Excellence

    Independent curator, cultural critic, and co-founder of ARTNOIR, Larry Ossei-Mensah, joins us for a deeply reflective dialogue on his dual identity as a high-profile champion of the arts and a dedicated ceramic artist. Larry pulls back the curtain on his stunning debut ceramic solo exhibition in New York, What Survives the Fire, and shares invaluable wisdom on the patience it takes to build a practice that stands the test of time. Whether you are an emerging creator navigating the contemporary landscape or an established practitioner looking to protect your studio time, this conversation is a rich, peer-to-peer exploration of what it truly means to live a life dedicated to art. In this episode, Larry and Kat discuss the shift from photography and global curatorial projects to discovering a profound, tactile language in ceramics, how clay continually humbles you and why that is a beautiful metaphor for life, practical strategies for protecting studio time while balancing high-profile community work, making decisions driven by intuition and discernment rather than spectacle, how strategic international travel and cross-cultural dialogue shape a creative practice, and why doubling down on maker culture is one of the most important things we can do right now. Connect with Larry: Instagram: @larryosseimensah ARTNOIR: @artnoir.co | artnoir.co All About Clay: @allaboutclayny Subscribe to our Substack for exclusive behind-the-scenes articles, exhibition highlights, and digital resources: createmagazine.substack.com Ready to share your work with the world? View our latest open calls at createmagazine.co/call-for-art

    47 min
  2. You Might Also Like: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    10H AGO ·  BONUS

    You Might Also Like: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    Introducing Alex O’Connor: #1 Shift That Stops Endless Overthinking (FINALLY Get Unstuck) from On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Follow the show: On Purpose with Jay Shetty What if certainty is what’s actually keeping you stuck? Today Jay sits down with philosopher and creator Alex O’Connor for a deeply thought-provoking conversation about consciousness, certainty, religion, and the questions that quietly shape the way we live. Alex opens up about growing up rebellious, struggling in school, and feeling disconnected from traditional systems before discovering philosophy and the search for truth. Together, they explore why so many people feel pressure to have life figured out too early, and why curiosity, self-awareness, and the willingness to question your beliefs may matter more than having all the answers. Jay and Alex unpack the mysteries of the human mind, the illusion of self, the limits of science, and humanity’s fear of death. Drawing from neuroscience, philosophy, and Eastern traditions, Alex challenges the idea that life can be fully explained through logic alone, while reflecting on how uncertainty can lead to deeper understanding rather than fear. This episode is an invitation to think beyond labels and rigid beliefs, and a reminder that some of life’s most meaningful discoveries begin when we stop pretending we’re certain about everything. In this episode you'll learn: How to Find What You’re Truly Good At How to Think Beyond Traditional Success How to Question Your Deepest Beliefs How to Balance Logic and Intuition How to Stop Living on Autopilot How to Become Comfortable With Uncertainty Your doubts don’t make you weak, they make you human. And sometimes the bravest thing you can do is admit you’re still learning, while continuing to search for truth, purpose, and peace along the way. If you’re ready to question everything you thought you knew about consciousness, religion, truth, and what it means to be human, Alex O’Connor’s Within Reason podcast is where philosophy becomes deeply personal. Link here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/within-reason/id1458675168  With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe   Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast  What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 00:19 What’s a Childhood Memory That Shaped You? 04:51 Why You Feel Stuck Even When You’re Trying 07:29 Everyone Has Something They’re Meant To Do  14:15 What History Reveals About The Present 20:30 The Mystery of Consciousness 26:42 Inside the New Atheist Movement 31:20 Explaining Your Worldview to Others 45:35 The Limits of Science and Philosophy 56:24 What Makes a Good Life? 58:09 Are You Living by Your Beliefs? 01:14:54 Left Brain vs. Right Brain Thinking 01:17:53 Alex O’Connor’s Final Five Episode Resources: Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CosmicSkeptic  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CosmicSkeptic/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic  X: https://x.com/CosmicSkeptic See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

  3. 5D AGO

    Petite Pleasures, Big Dreams: Jo Gamel on Daily Painting, Following Every Interest, and Showing Up for Your Most Ambitious Goals

    Jo Gamel is back, and this conversation covers a lot of ground. A Philadelphia-based fine artist, gallery liaison, teaching artist, science fiction writer, and member of the music project Medal of Jupiter, Jo embodies what it looks like to follow genuine curiosity across disciplines without apology. In this episode, we get into her participation in the 100 Day Painting Challenge, how she built a consistent studio practice around a fully funded medical billing program, and what it actually takes to show up for your work when your schedule is packed. Jo shares how she used block scheduling to protect her 5 a.m. studio hours, how pre-selecting a limited palette and 300 reference photos from her phone set her up for creative flow rather than decision fatigue, and how her miniature series became a portal into memory, travel, and her great-grandmother's immigration story. We also talk about the sensory, cafe-style exhibition she mounted at the Jane Gallery, the power of immersive art presentations, and why she believes every artist should be loudly celebrating their wins so others know what is possible. Jo has shown at the Louvre during Paris+ Art Basel, Chelsea Old Town Hall during London Art Week, and the European Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona. This fall, she is directing the Arts League gallery for Collective Futures (a citywide Philadelphia collaboration, October 2 to 23, themed around Bohemia as a trans-historical state of mind), and she announces something she visualized years ago: she will be showing at the Stockholm Affordable Art Fair this September. This one is full of practical insight, ancestral warmth, and a lot of encouragement to say the big dream out loud.   In this episode:   What it means to be pluridisciplinary and why the old masters were too Building a block schedule that actually holds up during a demanding program How the 100 Day Painting Challenge became a meditation on petite pleasures and personal history Creating a fully immersive, sensory gallery experience on your own terms The role of community and mutual aid in a sustainable art career Why sharing your achievements is just as important as achieving them Jo's upcoming exhibitions in Philadelphia and Stockholm   Links and resources:   Join us on Substack: https://createmagazine.substack.com   Jo Gamel: www.jogamel.com   Jo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jogamel/   Join the Create! Collective: https://createcollective.mykajabi.com/collective   Free Studio Workbook and Workshop: https://createmagazine.myflodesk.com/studio-party    100 Day Challenge Waitlist: https://createmagazine.myflodesk.com/challenge    Connect with Jo: www.jogamel.com   Past episode: https://createmagazine.substack.com/p/mixed-media-magic-embracing-a-multi-245

    33 min

  4. MAY 14

    How to Stop Being Forever Emerging and Graduate to Your Next Level with Ekaterina Popova

    There is a next-level version of you already waiting and this episode will help you step into it.  Drawing on a decade of running Create! Magazine and watching hundreds of artists grow, Kat (Ekaterina Popova) lays out exactly how to graduate to the next stage of your career, whether you are a visual artist, a maker, or a small business owner. The identity shift that unlocks real momentum, a framework for choosing opportunities worth your time, and a clear five-step action plan you can start this week. HIGHLIGHTS The identity shift behind every real level-up Why your behavior follows your identity, and how to update it How the art world defines career stages, and why you get to decide what counts The three kinds of opportunities, and which ones actually move you forward A five-step action plan to step into your next level this month THE 5-STEP ACTION PLAN Audit where you actually are Define your next level specifically Do the mindset and presentation work: bio, website, CV Get into a solution-oriented room Become generous and give from your experience SPONSOR This episode is brought to you by Blue Green Galleria Fine Art, specializing in Chinese and Asia-Pacific contemporary artists. Catch them at the first-ever Salt Lake Art Show, May 14 to 17 at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy, Utah. Find them at booth A202 with a duo presentation by Yana Hu and Long Han. https://bluegreengalleria.com | Blue Green Galleria on Artsy CREATE! COLLECTIVE Your environment shapes what you believe is possible. The Create! Collective is our membership community of artists and creative entrepreneurs winning grants, opening galleries, and building bigger tables. Join ours or build your own, but find a room that lifts you up. https://www.createmagazine.co/collective SUBSCRIBE + SUBMIT Create! Dispatch on Substack: Studio Sundays, open calls, and tips every week. Free tier available. Support independent publishing for $10 a month. https://createmagazine.substack.com Submit to Studio Sundays: our free Sunday feature spotlighting your workspace. https://airtable.com/apptRl5pIcdTzhYLt/pagcaZN4AGQpEUkjy/form CONNECT @createmagazine | https://www.createmagazine.co

    23 min

  5. MAY 9

    Artist. Curator. Founder. How Indira Cesarine of The Untitled Space in NYC Built a Creative Career That Does Not Fit in a Box

    Indira Cesarine is an artist, curator, and the founder of The Untitled Space, one of New York City's most vital independent galleries. She has built a practice that refuses to be contained by a single role, and this conversation is a behind-the-scenes look at how she does it. We sat down to talk about her current exhibition "In Full Bloom," a group show featuring 34 women artists working with floral and botanical imagery as a vehicle for transformation, identity, and power. But we went much further than the show itself. Indira shares what it took to open and sustain an independent gallery in New York, how she thinks about building a curatorial vision that is both intellectually honest and visually compelling, and what it means to remain a practicing artist while running an institution. If you have ever wondered what it looks like to hold multiple creative identities at once and build something meaningful across all of them, this episode is for you. In this episode: What led Indira to found The Untitled Space and what the early years actually looked like How she develops a curatorial concept from first instinct to finished exhibition The way her own studio practice informs how she reads and selects the work of other artists What she looks for in a group show and how individual voices come together into something larger Sustaining creative leadership over the long term without losing the work that started it all Links and resources: "In Full Bloom" is on view at The Untitled Space, 45 Lispenard Street, New York, NY through May 22, 2026. Visit www.untitled-space.com for full details. Submit your work to Create! Magazine. We are currently accepting submissions for upcoming issues and exhibitions. Visit https://www.createmagazine.co/call-for-art to apply. Free masterclass: Sell More Art. Build a sustainable practice and start earning consistently from your creative work. Register at https://courses.createmagazine.co/sell-more-art-free-training-2026.

    32 min

  6. MAY 6

    Art for Everyone: Collecting, Connecting with Buyers, and Building a Career from Anywhere with Liz Lidgett

    Ekaterina Popova sits down with Liz Lidgett, gallery owner, art advisor, and author of the newly released book "Art for Everyone: How to Collect Art and Personalize Your Space on Any Budget." Liz has built a thriving gallery and design practice in Des Moines, Iowa, and has spent her career making the art world feel welcoming, joyful, and genuinely accessible to collectors at every level. In this conversation, they explore the business side of building a sustainable art career, including how artists can better connect with collectors by focusing on home-ready presentation and offering varied price points. Liz also shares what she wishes more artists understood about the collector relationship, and how she turned her location into a superpower rather than a limitation. Whether you are an artist looking to grow your career or someone who has always wanted to bring more art into your home, this episode is full of practical insight and genuine encouragement. In this episode: What inspired Liz to write "Art for Everyone" and who it is for How artists can make their work more collector-ready The importance of varied price points and accessible entry pieces Building a gallery and creative career outside of major art hubs What collectors are really looking for when they walk into a gallery Links and Resources: Get the book: Art for Everyone by Liz Lidgett Liz Lidgett Gallery: lizlidgett.com Follow Liz on Instagram: @lizlidgett Submit your work to Create! Magazine: createmagazine.co/call-for-art

    25 min

  7. MAY 2

    Protecting Art Spaces: Leadership and Fundraising with Amy Cavanaugh Royce

    In this episode of the Create! Podcast, host Ekaterina Popova sits down with Amy Cavanaugh Royce, the Executive Director of Maryland Art Place (MAP). Amy shares her journey from a professional touring cellist and recording artist to a leader in arts administration, providing a candid look at the resilience required to sustain a major contemporary arts hub. The conversation explores the intersection of creative empathy and executive leadership, emphasizing why protecting physical space is vital for the health of a city's creative economy. Episode Highlights The Evolution of a Practitioner: Amy explains how her background as a freelance musician allowed her to bring a unique level of empathy to her leadership role. Understanding the Process: She highlights the importance of leaders understanding what it takes for artists to get to a final product to effectively advocate for them. Protecting Creative Real Estate: A discussion on Amy's commitment to retaining MAP's 20,000-square-foot building in downtown Baltimore to ensure artists stay within the context of general commerce. Fundraising and Resilience: Amy offers insights into the different funding landscapes of DC and Baltimore, noting that persistence is key and that a "no" from a potential donor often simply means "not now". Creating Artist Opportunities: From the "Out of Order" annual auction to managing the Maryland State Arts Directory, Amy explains how MAP connects artists with collectors and public art projects. The Bromo Art Walk: Amy previews the upcoming event on May 14th, featuring a New York–Baltimore exchange curated by Jim Condren and Glenn Goldenberg. About Maryland Art Place (MAP) Maryland Art Place (MAP) inspires, supports, and encourages artistic expression through innovative programming, exhibitions, and educational opportunities while recognizing the powerful impact art can have on our community. MAP creates a dynamic environment for artists of our time to engage the public by nurturing and promoting new ideas. MAP has served as a critical resource for contemporary art in the Mid-Atlantic since 1981. Take Action Submit Your Work: Visit the Create! Magazine Call for Art to find current opportunities to get your work in front of a global audience. Support the Mission: Learn more about Maryland Art Place, become a member, or donate by visiting mdartplace.org.   Visit the Gallery: Explore the current exhibitions at 218 West Saratoga Street, Baltimore, MD.

    16 min

  8. APR 30

    10 Years In: The Failures That Built My Creative Business

    Ten years ago, I took the leap into full-time creative entrepreneurship with no roadmap, no guarantee, and a lot of hope. This episode is my honest look back at what actually got me here, and it is not a highlight reel. I recently had the honor of spending two days at Michigan State University as a guest lecturer and juror for the undergraduate senior show. The organizers asked me to speak about failure, not success. That invitation sent me into a real reflection on the moments that broke me open and ultimately built everything I have today. In this episode I share what I wish I had known at 27, including why I stayed too long in projects that had expired, how learning to quit strategically changed everything, why your non-negotiables have to come before your goals, how I learned to stop shrinking under criticism without losing my empathy, the difference between goals that are truly yours versus ones you inherited from someone else's definition of success, and why every significant thing I have built grew directly out of a previous failure. I also talk about losing our first book deal, a solo show that nearly got canceled, the shadow side of stubbornness, and why knowing what hill you are willing to die on matters more than any strategy. This one is personal. It is also practical. I hope it meets you exactly where you are. Did this resonate? Let's chat! Tag me over at @katerinaspopova on IG To join the Create! Collective membership community, visit createmagazine.co/collective. For our subscription, membership, mini courses, and more, visit createmagazine.co/join.

    29 min
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4.9
out of 5
257 Ratings

About

The Create! Podcast (formerly Art & Cocktails) is your space for inspiration, encouragement, and practical insight at the intersection of contemporary art, creative business, and mindset. Hosted by artist, coach, and Create! Magazine founder Ekaterina Popova, the show is designed to help you grow your art career, expand your creative vision, and build a sustainable, joyful life. Through candid conversations with artists, entrepreneurs, writers, curators, and thought leaders—as well as empowering solo episodes—you'll find tools, ideas, and stories that remind you that life itself is your canvas, and you have the power to create a career and future that truly supports you. Find us at www.createmagazine.co/podcast — where the conversation about art and business starts.

Information

  • Creator
    Ekaterina Popova
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    446
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Create! Magazine LLC
  • Show Website
    The Create! Podcast

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