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PODCAST

The Create! Podcast

Ekaterina Popova

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

arts visual arts

All Episodes

21:43

Let Yourself Be Supported (with Kat)

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/10/03

Running a creative business can feel like the whole world is on your shoulders. The studio time, the bills, the marketing, the social media. In this episode, Kat shares why she is softening her own "do it all yourself" message and what she is doing to receive more support. You will hear about the people who lifted her along the way, from her high school art teacher to friends who gave her a place to stay in college. She also opens up about a big loss in her business a few years ago and what she sees

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49:10

How to Price Your Art for Art Fairs and Sell More...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/09/24

Thinking about showing your work at an art fair but not sure where to start? In Part 1 of this two-part series, Kat sits down with Alex Mitow of Superfair to go back to the basics of selling your art in person. Alex has helped more than 5,000 artists show their work across 40+ fairs. He shares how to choose your first art fair, why your hometown is often the best place to begin, and how to price your artwork so new collectors can say yes. You will also learn how Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

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21:10

Art Is Abundance: A New Way to Think About Art and Money

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/09/17

If you have been feeling hopeless or down about your art career, you are not alone. This episode comes straight from the heart, and it is an invitation to rekindle even the tiniest spark of hope that incredible things are ahead, no matter where you are right now. As I reflect on 10 years of Create! Magazine and 10 years of working for myself, I keep coming back to basics. Expecting support before I know how it will arrive. Noticing the opportunities I do have, even when things are not perfect. And

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28:24

From "Practical" Career to Full-Time Artist and...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/09/14

How do you find the courage to step off the "practical" path and fully commit to your creative calling? In this episode of the Create! Podcast, Kat talks with painter and coach Lacie Martinez about coming back to her creative voice. Lacie shares how her background in apparel design and kinesiology shapes her vibrant, richly textured figurative paintings. We talk about the vulnerability behind her debut exhibition, which celebrated the unfiltered, deeply connective realities of motherhood, and how

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37:53

Intuition as Knowledge: Mastering Oil Painting to...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/09/07

A lot of us went to art school and never actually learned how to paint. We were told to go make something and figure it out, which is great, but it often leaves us limited by our ability to bring our ideas to life. If that's you, you're not alone, and this episode is a permission slip to learn something new if you feel stuck. My guest today is Alonsa Guevara, a Chilean American artist whose work has been exhibited internationally and featured in Forbes, Time Out New York, and VICE. I had the

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33:50

Laurén Gerig: Painting Place, Memory, and a...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/08/31

How do you translate the memory of a landscape into a rich, tactile painting? And how do you sustain a meaningful studio practice when life and work get demanding? In this episode of the Create! Podcast, Kat sits down with Lansing, Michigan-based visual artist and educator Laurén Gerig. Laurén shares her thoughts on place attachment, building expressive paint surfaces, and using poetry to set the stage for intuitive studio sessions. We also dive into the realities of balancing a demanding day job in

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27:08

The Art of Letting Go: Ceramics, Sculpture, and Art...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/08/21

Imagine pouring your heart into a massive sculpture, only to watch it crash to the floor. What if that disaster was exactly what your practice needed? In this episode of The Create! Podcast, host Ekaterina Popova talks with multimedia visual artist, curator, and educator Rebecca Casement. Based in Michigan, Rebecca creates affective, abstract sculptures and installations using ceramics, mixed media, sound, and textiles. This conversation explores her practice of pushing materials to their breaking

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26:02

Creative Flow as Medicine: Art for Self-Care and...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/08/17

In this episode of the Create! Podcast, Kat sits down with artist, author, and board-certified art therapist Leah Guzman to explore how creativity can serve as a sanctuary for healing, emotional expression, and personal evolution. Together, they unpack the pressure artists put on themselves, navigating creative burnout, taking intentional breaks from exhibiting, and why the physical act of making art is proven to lower stress and regulate the nervous system. Leah shares practical, low-friction

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54:14

Embracing Play, Shattering Art Rules, and Finding...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/08/10

In this episode, Ekaterina Popova welcomes back artist, muralist, author, podcaster, and educator Brandi Hofer to discuss the evolution of her multifaceted creative life. They dive into the realities of being a working artist and mother, why it is essential to embrace play without judgment, and how to quiet the self-doubt often picked up in traditional academic spaces. Brandi shares the story behind her viral, accessible portrait techniques, her monumental 3,082 square foot Truth and

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45:36

Own Your Sales, Own Your Story: Economics of Art...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/08/04

What does it really cost to "get chosen" in the art world, and when does it make more sense to bypass the gatekeepers and bet on yourself? In this episode, we welcome back Sharone Halevy and Alex Mitow from The Superfair for an honest, unfiltered conversation about what art fairs actually are and why they matter for artists in 2026 and beyond. We strip away the smoke and mirrors of traditional gallery representation to talk about the financial realities nobody likes to admit out loud. From spending

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33:55

Turning Creativity Into Wealth: Bonnie Christine on...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/07/27

In this episode, I'm (host Ekaterina Popova) joined by Bonnie Christine, fabric designer, artist, and founder of a multi-seven-figure surface pattern design education business. We talk about what it actually takes to turn a creative gift into real income, how to get started in pattern design even with zero experience, why she believes we have a responsibility to pass on what we know to others, and how she's built her life around her passion rather than the other way around. Bonnie shares the full

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21:49

What Does It Mean to Feel Seen? A Conversation on...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/07/20

What does it mean to feel seen? Five years ago, the Tracy Piper asked that question and turned it into SEEN, an ongoing portrait and storytelling project rooted in community and connection. In this episode, we talk about how the project began, how she has used her practice to serve the people around her, and what it takes to keep a personal project like this going year after year. Now in its fifth year, SEEN includes over 250 participants and five published volumes, with a new book and exhibition

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20:41

How to Find the Right Gallery Partner: Signs to Look For

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/07/09

Getting a gallery to say yes can feel like the end goal, but it's really where the real work begins. In this episode, Kat breaks down what makes a gallery partnership actually work for both parties, from the signs a gallery is genuinely invested in your career to the economics artists rarely get straight answers on. She also shares the questions worth asking before you sign anything, and how to evaluate a partnership you're already in. In this episode: The signs a gallery partner is genuinely

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18:12

They Can't Take This From You: Coming Back to Your...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/07/01

In this solo episode, Kat gets honest about a lesson she's still relearning 15 years in: protecting her own art practice. An inspiring gallery visit and a painful past experience resurfacing reminded her of what matters, how to protect it, and understand the value of our art and personal relationship to it. What You'll Hear The artist's date that reminded Kat to get back to the pure joy of art Her past solo show cancellation, and what resurfacing it taught her Why not every gallery experience is a

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39:24

The Burnout Fix: Create Leverage, Force Multipliers,...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/06/24

If you have ever felt like you are running a marketing agency instead of an art practice, you are not alone. In this episode, I sit down with Alex Mitow and Sharone Halevy, the dynamic duo behind Superfair, now in their 11th year as one of the most artist-forward art fairs in the country. We talk about what they are witnessing in real time across the artist community, why burnout is at an all-time high, and what actually works when you strip away the noise. We cover: Why social media has aged and

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21:18

The Art of Creative Loitering: A Permission Slip to...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/06/18

What if the missing ingredient in your creative life isn't more productivity, but more loafing? In this solo episode, Kat shares a personal update from her summer and an honest reflection on burnout, rest, and the radical act of doing less. Drawing from the book Writing, Creativity and Soul by Sue Monk Kidd, she introduces the concept of creative loitering, and makes the case that your imagination actually requires aimless, unstructured time to do its best work. Kat reads from the chapter

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42:49

Summer Updates from Kat + The Mundane Is the Muse:...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/06/05

This episode is two things in one: an honest, personal check-in from Kat as we head into summer, Q&A from our community. followed by a conversation with San Diego-based Mexican painter Yahel Yan, a Create! community member whose 100-day challenge journey ended in a full solo exhibition. Kat opens by sharing what has been on her mind lately, from the turbulence in the art world and the economy to a growing sense that artists deserve more privacy, more mystery, and more protection of the creative

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25:55

Simplifying Content Creation for Makers with Brand...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/06/01

Content creation burnout is real, and if you have ever hit a wall with showing up online, this episode is for you. Ekaterina sits down with Nicole Bedard, brand photographer, video storyteller, and strategist who specializes in helping makers, artists, and designers capture their authentic studio flow and process. Nicole shares how small, consistent commitments and intentional visual storytelling can help you attract the clients, collectors, and opportunities you actually want, without the

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46:49

What Survives the Fire: Larry Ossei-Mensah on Clay,...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/05/26

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

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32:43

Petite Pleasures, Big Dreams: Jo Gamel on Daily...

The Create! Podcast ·

2026/05/21

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

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