This is How We Create

Martine Severin
  • 5.0 (31)
  • VISUAL ARTS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The This is How We Create podcast digs deeper into the creative life of contemporary artists of color. Discover what feeds their creativity and how they found (or are finding) their artistic voice. Through these intimate and candid conversations, you will gain insights into the lives of creative professionals of color that are hard to find anywhere else.

  1. The "New Black Look" Redefining Interior Design - Sierra Glasgow

    1D AGO

    The "New Black Look" Redefining Interior Design - Sierra Glasgow

    Most creators would have folded under the pressure of the "beige box" industry, yet Sierra doubled down on a signature style that fuses modern curvature with the vibrant, ancestral pulse of Black culture. This episode uncovers the friction of being a risk-taker in a world that fears color and how she transitioned from the technical rigors of building construction to painting emotional landscapes within four walls. If you have ever felt pressured to dilute your aesthetic or lowball your worth to fit in, Sierra's journey is the blueprint for setting boundaries that protect your sanity and your specialized "sauce."   Chapters   01:02  Early memories of drawing faces and the transition from fine art to interiors 02:04  The unexpected educational shift from architecture to building construction technology 03:35  Landing the first client through social media and early industry exposure 05:28  How the cultural landscape of Richmond shaped an African-modern aesthetic 08:02  The philosophy of the "New Black Look" and the symbolism of Birds of Paradise 10:25  Confronting the "Beige Box" and the challenge of being a professional risk-taker 11:32  The Virginia Beach high-rise: Lessons in pricing and self-worth 14:49  Cultural authenticity and the balance of minimalist-maximalist design 16:38  Hard boundaries: Revision limits and preventing client-led design sabotage 18:57  Advice for finding your "special sauce" through research and mood boards   Connect with Sierra: Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uniekinteriors/ Support the show Website: Martine Severin Follow on Instagram: Martine | This Is How We Create Subscribe to the Newsletter: Martine's Substack This is How We Create is produced by Martine Severin. This episode was edited by Daniel Espinosa. Podcast show art is designed by Violetta Encarnación. Music by Timothy Infinite. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Leave a review Follow us on social media Share with fellow creatives

    21 min

  2. APR 29

    Here's Exactly How to Start Your Newsletter - Martine Severin

    If you've wanted to start a newsletter, let's get into it! We break down the technical barriers of platforms like Substack and Kit, while stripping away the myth that you need to be perfect to start. Stop letting your wisdom gather dust and discover how trusting your own voice creates the body of work you were always meant to lead.   Chapters 00:00 Opening the private vault of creative insights  01:45 Breaking the cycle of fear in a Vancouver bookstore  03:15 Understanding why you hesitate to share your voice  04:30 Choosing the right platform from Substack to Kit  06:35 How to build a subscriber list with integrity  07:50 Offering deep value instead of a sales pitch  09:15 Committing to the first ten issues   Listen to the show on your favorite streaming platform! Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/4fcopgQ Spotify: http://bit.ly/4fdkiBs iHeart Podcast: http://bit.ly/4lRHms3   Support the Show Website: http://www.martineseverin.com Follow on Instagram: @martine.severin | @thisishowwecreate_ Subscribe to the Newsletter: http://www.martineseverin.substack.com   This is How We Create is produced by Martine Severin. This episode was edited by Daniel Espinosa. Podcast show art is designed by Violetta Encarnación. Music by Timothy Infinite.   Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Leave a review Follow us on social media Share with fellow creatives

    9 min
  3. The Truth About Success Nobody Prepares You For - Mei Tao

    APR 23

    The Truth About Success Nobody Prepares You For - Mei Tao

    What does it actually feel like to build the career you always wanted — and then realize the hard part isn't over? Photographer Mei Tao has spent decades behind the lens for Apple, J.Crew, and major publications. But in this conversation, she gets honest about what commercial success doesn't tell you: that the work stays hard, that achievement keeps moving the goalpost, and that the most meaningful art she's ever made has nothing to do with her biggest clients. We talk about growing up as an immigrant in Brooklyn, finding herself in candy store magazine racks, and the moment she realized her father's private recordings were her most precious inheritance. And we get into the question every working creative eventually has to answer — how do you feel like yourself in your work?   Chapters 00:00 - Defining the Radical Art of Care 03:44 - Cultural Shock and the Move to New York 05:52 - Magazines as a Gateway to Fashion 08:05 - Navigating Parsons and the Practicality of Art 09:14 - Technical Mastery and the Business of Artistry 12:39 - Success as a Series of Failures 15:44 - Redefining Professional Achievement 18:15 - The Cost of Code-Switching 21:00 - Documenting Family and Artistic Influences 24:45 - Processing Grief and History Through the Lens 27:28 - Financial Freedom and Fine Art Discipline 29:19 - Diving into Motion and Radical Storytelling   Connect with Mei: Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taomeitao/ Website: https://meitaophotographer.com/ Support the show Website: Martine Severin Follow on Instagram: Martine | This Is How We Create Subscribe to the Newsletter: Martine's Substack This is How We Create is produced by Martine Severin. This episode was edited by Daniel Espinosa. Podcast show art is designed by Violetta Encarnación. Music by Timothy Infinite. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Leave a review Follow us on social media Share with fellow creatives

    32 min

  4. APR 16

    Your Website Is Losing You Clients (Here's What to Fix) - Martine Severin

    There's a particular kind of dread that comes with sending someone to your website — you hit send on your portfolio link and immediately think: wait, is that still up? Did I ever update that bio? In this episode, we get into why your website might be the one thing standing between you and the clients you actually want, and the specific work of making it do what it's supposed to do: make the right people feel something, and then reach out. We cover what makes a compelling bio, the psychology behind why visitors stay or leave, and why hiding your personal projects is quietly costing you your biggest opportunities.   Chapters 00:13 The invisible artist at the gallery. 02:34 Losing a job over an outdated portfolio. 04:52 Crafting your digital handshake and bio. 07:16 The secret power of personal projects. 09:42 Podcast reviews and the Creative Matters newsletter.   Support the Show Website: http://www.martineseverin.com Follow on Instagram: @martine.severin | @thisishowwecreate_ Subscribe to the Newsletter: http://www.martineseverin.substack.com   This is How We Create is produced by Martine Severin. This episode was edited by Daniel Espinosa. Podcast show art is designed by Violetta Encarnación. Music by Timothy Infinite.   Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Leave a review Follow us on social media Share with fellow creatives

    10 min
  5. How to Think, Write and Create Like a Pro - Eve L. Ewing

    APR 8

    How to Think, Write and Create Like a Pro - Eve L. Ewing

    If you have ever stared at a blank page and wondered whether you are actually a writer or just someone who wishes they were one, circle 'round. Dr. Eve L. Ewing (sociologist, poet, and Marvel Comics writer) offers an honest look at what a serious creative practice actually requires. Learn how she builds a community that sharpens her work, and hear exactly how she develops a new project from the first spark to the finished page. You'll leave this conversation with less mystery about what's been standing between you and the writer you want to become.  Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Eve L. Ewing and her latest work, Original Sins 02:16 Growing up in Chicago: Artistic accessibility and public investment 05:24 Values and the necessity of chosen family 08:14 Multi-generational service: The Black church and mutual aid 10:21 The origin story: From fan fiction to being "seen" as a writer 15:14 The "Capital W" Writer: Nourishing craft and moving toward the light 17:32 Community and mimesis: Learning through the work of peers 21:21 Wrangle the idea: How poetry, prose, and comics demand different approaches 23:46 Stress-testing the argument: The anatomy of persuasive prose 26:11 Churning out the joints: The liberating structure of comic book writing 29:13 Pop culture overthinking and final reflections Connect with Eve: Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eve.ewing Website: https://eveewing.com/ Support the show Website: Martine Severin Follow on Instagram: Martine | This Is How We Create Subscribe to the Newsletter: Martine's Substack This is How We Create is produced by Martine Severin. This episode was edited by Daniel Espinosa. Podcast show art is designed by Violetta Encarnación. Music by Timothy Infinite. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Leave a review Follow us on social media Share with fellow creatives

    30 min

  6. APR 1

    On Sales and Marketing as an Artist - Martine Severin

    Have you ever felt that once the masterpiece is finished, the rest of the journey should belong to someone else? Many of us wait in the shadows of the "found artist" myth, hoping the right gallery or agent will simply stumble upon our genius. But what happens when the knocking never starts?  Today, we dive into the systems that turn cold outreach into warm relationship-building and explore why your story is the most valuable product you will ever sell. If you are ready to stop apologizing for your ambition and start owning your space in the industry, this conversation is your roadmap.   Chapters 00:13 The Artist's Role Beyond Creation 01:50 Dismantling the Myth of the Found Artist 02:38 Becoming Your Own Champion 04:00 Marketing Monday: Outreach as Relationship Care 05:01 Lessons in Networking and Relationship Marketing 06:50 The Reality of Representation and Agents 08:40 Selling the Sizzle: Tips for Product-Based Creatives 09:40 Owning Your Values and Your Sales Script 10:50 Three Actionable Steps for Your Creative Week    Support the Show Website: http://www.martineseverin.com Follow on Instagram: @martine.severin | @thisishowwecreate_ Subscribe to the Newsletter: http://www.martineseverin.substack.com   This is How We Create is produced by Martine Severin. This episode was edited by Daniel Espinosa. Podcast show art is designed by Violetta Encarnación. Music by Timothy Infinite.   Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Leave a review Follow us on social media Share with fellow creatives

    12 min
  7. How to Grow an Art Practice Without Losing Yourself - Lex Marie

    MAR 25

    How to Grow an Art Practice Without Losing Yourself - Lex Marie

    In this episode, I sit down with Lex Marie, an artist whose work confronts the uncomfortable truth that Black children in America are often denied the luxury of innocence. She transforms the everyday remnants of her son's childhood into confrontation disguised as portraiture, and the materials she chooses will stop you in your tracks. We talk about building a career on your own terms, staying multidisciplinary, and what it really means to refuse the boxes the art world tries to put you in. Chapters 00:19 Introduction to Lex Marie 03:26 Realizing a Different Viewpoint Through Motherhood 05:11 The Decision to Pursue an MFA 06:23 Using Her Son as Muse and Material 08:00 Choosing Which Clothing Gets Immortality 10:31 Balancing Inspiration with Intimate Boundaries 12:12 Processing Big Feelings into Artwork 14:08 Knowing When a Piece is Finished 15:15 Cultivating Relationships in the Art World 16:47 The Lifelong Journey of an Art Practice 18:51 The Intentional Choice Behind the Name Lex Marie Connect With Lex Marie: Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelexmarie Website: https://www.lexmarie.com/ Support the Show Website: Martine Severin Follow on Instagram: Martine | This Is How We Create Subscribe to the Newsletter: Martine's Substack This is How We Create is produced by Martine Severin. This episode was edited by Daniel Espinosa. Podcast show art is designed by Violetta Encarnación. Music by Timothy Infinite. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Leave a review Follow us on social media Share with fellow creatives

    20 min

  8. MAR 18

    A Guide to Moving Through Creative Paralysis - Martine Severin

    Have you ever had a to-do list as long as your arm but couldn't bring yourself to do the tasks on that list? What about your dreams to accomplish this or that? How many of them have you ignored? Whether you call it procrastination, a lack of discipline, or simple laziness, the truth behind our creative paralysis often hides in plain sight. In this episode, we explore the high cost of big dreams and why the very visions meant to inspire us might be the ones locking us in place. If you have ever felt like a deer caught in the headlights of your own ambition, this conversation offers a gentle way to thaw the ice and reclaim your momentum.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction: The Deer and the Moment of Freeze 01:11 The Common Experience of Freezing in Goal Setting 02:10 Why Big Goals Cause Overwhelm and Paralysis 03:08 Misconceptions About Paralysis and Overwhelm 04:24 Reframing Goals: Focus on Inputs, Not Outcomes 05:20 The Power of 45-Minute Focus Sessions 06:18 Trusting Small Actions to Lead to Big Results 07:15 Practical Tips to Overcome Freezing and Start Small 08:09 Moving Forward Despite Fear and Uncertainty Support the Show Website: http://www.martineseverin.com Follow on Instagram: @martine.severin | @thisishowwecreate_ Subscribe to the Newsletter: http://www.martineseverin.substack.com   This is How We Create is produced by Martine Severin. This episode was edited by Daniel Espinosa. Podcast show art is designed by Violetta Encarnación. Music by Timothy Infinite.   Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Leave a review Follow us on social media Share with fellow creatives

    9 min
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Trailer

5
out of 5
31 Ratings

About

The This is How We Create podcast digs deeper into the creative life of contemporary artists of color. Discover what feeds their creativity and how they found (or are finding) their artistic voice. Through these intimate and candid conversations, you will gain insights into the lives of creative professionals of color that are hard to find anywhere else.

Information

  • Creator
    Martine Severin
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    208
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Martine Severin
  • Show Website
    This is How We Create

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