Artsy Ambition

Think you need hours of uninterrupted time to be creative? This episode will change your mind. Kathleen shares why waiting for "enough time" keeps you stuck, and how five-minute creative practices can transform your relationship with creativity as a busy mom.

You'll discover six practical rituals that fit into your real life—from passenger seat stitches to scribble drawing play—plus the exact strategies to make them stick. Because creativity doesn't have to be all or nothing, mama. You can be both present with your family and connected to your creative self, five minutes at a time.

You'll hear about:

• Why five minutes of actual creating beats an hour of waiting for perfect conditions
• Six practical creative rituals (passenger seat stitch, waiting room sketch, family time stitch, scribble drawing play, evening wind-down, Sunday planning)
• How to make creativity stupidly easy to start with habit stacking
• Why three messy stitches count just as much as a finished masterpiece
• How tiny creative moments actually make you more present in the rest of your life

• Start stitching with the Stitch Deck
• Free DIY name sweater video tutorial
• Free Canva templates to create DIY name designs
• Check out the shop: artsylyons.shop
• Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons

Feeling the holiday pressure already? Between Pinterest-perfect expectations and everyone else's Instagram highlights, it's easy to feel like you should be doing more. But what if "special" doesn't mean elaborate or expensive — what if it just means heartfelt?

In this episode, Kathleen shares her own journey from holiday burnout to handmade joy, and gives you permission to do the holidays differently this year. You'll learn how to choose meaningful over impressive, presence over perfection, and create holiday magic without the overwhelm.

You'll Hear About:

• Why the holiday pressure we feel isn't really about the holidays at all
• What makes something truly "special" (hint: it's not perfection)
• The difference between handmade pressure and handmade joy
• 5 practical strategies for choosing what to make (and what to let go)
• What your people actually want from you this season
• A gentle challenge to redefine the holidays on your own terms

Key Takeaway: You don't have to do it all to make it special. Handmade doesn't mean more work — it means more heart. Your calm, your presence, and your joy are the real gifts this season.

• Free DIY name sweater video tutorial
• Check out the shop: artsylyons.shop
• Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons

Feeling stretched too thin? Resentful of commitments you said yes to? This episode is about the boundaries that will change your creative life. Kathleen shares her own journey from saying yes to everything (and burning out) to learning how to protect what actually matters — including her creative time, her family, and her energy.

This isn't about being selfish or unavailable. It's about being intentional. Because every time you say yes to something that doesn't align with your priorities, you're saying no to something that does.

You'll hear about:

• Why saying no feels so impossibly hard (and why it's necessary)
• How to get crystal clear on your priorities
• The specific boundaries that changed Kathleen's life
• Practical scripts for saying no without guilt
• What happens when you protect your creative time
• How to handle people who don't understand your boundaries
• Permission slips you might need to hear

Takeaway: Saying no isn't mean — it's necessary. You can't pour from an empty cup, and you can't show up for what matters most if you've given all your energy to things that don't align with your priorities. Start with one boundary this week and watch what shifts.

• Free Canva templates to create DIY name designs
• Free DIY name sweater video tutorial
• Check out the shop
• Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons

After the Sip & Stitch event, Kathleen kept hearing the same question: "How can I make more personalized embroidered gifts?" This episode is the answer. She's introducing new Canva templates designed to take the guesswork out of creating custom embroidered pieces — with seven embroidery-friendly fonts, sizing guides for different apparel sizes (newborn through 4T+), and six adorable embellishments.

But this episode is about more than templates. It's about how learning one skill — hand embroidery — becomes an endless source of meaningful, personalized gifts that people actually treasure. Perfect timing for holiday planning!

You'll hear about:

• Why designing your own embroidery can feel overwhelming (and how to fix it)
• What's included in the new Canva templates and how to use them
• The deeper meaning behind handmade, personalized gifts
• Step-by-step process for creating embroidered gifts with confidence
• A free sweater embroidery tutorial to get you started
• Gift ideas for every occasion (babies, kids, teachers, friends, and yourself!)

• Free Canva templates to create DIY name designs
• Free DIY name sweater tutorial
• Chain stitch video tutorial
• Rose (woven wheel) stitch tutorial
• Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more mamas who need this community.

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to The Artsy Ambition Podcast! See you next week!

I just hosted my first in-person Sip & Stitch event at Park Cafe, and now I’m sharing all the heartwarming, behind-the-scenes moments from the experience. From the magic of watching strangers become friends over embroidery hoops, to the invaluable teaching insights she gained, to gratitude for the people who make it all possible — this episode is a love letter to community and creativity.

If you've ever thought about hosting a creative workshop or wondered what happens when you gather people around a table with thread and good conversation, this one will inspire you.

You'll hear about:

• The beautiful community that formed during the event (and why people helping each other was the best part)
• What teaching in person taught Kathleen about being a better educator
• Why slowing down and focusing on one stitch at a time matters for beginners
• Heartfelt gratitude for Sean and all the small ways he supports her creative journey
• Why live events matter, even in our digital world
• What's next for in-person embroidery gatherings

Been away from your embroidery hoop (or any creative practice) and feeling guilty about it? This episode is your permission slip to start again — without the shame, without the pressure, and without believing you're back at square one.

Kathleen shares why stopping and starting is a natural creative rhythm, not a character flaw. She explores how to make peace with the cycle of stepping away and returning, and offers a refreshing new definition of consistency that actually honors real life.

Whether you've been gone for a day, a month, or a year — you didn't start over. You continued. And that's something to celebrate.

You'll hear about:

• Why the stop-start cycle is completely normal (and not a sign of failure)
• The real reasons we step away from creativity — and why it's not weakness
• How to lower the barrier to coming back without guilt or pressure
• Kathleen's personal story of stepping away and returning to stitching
• A new way to define consistency that makes space for seasons and rhythms
• Why every return to your creativity is an act of courage

Takeaway: Starting again isn't starting from scratch. Every time you come back to your creativity, you're building on everything that came before. You're allowed to have seasons of rest and seasons of creating — and both are part of your creative journey.

Show Notes: Monday through Friday, Kathleen works her full-time marketing job and manages early kindergarten mornings, school pickups, dinner, and bedtime routines. Her weekdays are maxed out. So when does she build her creative business? Weekends. And it's not what you might think.

In this honest episode, Kathleen pulls back the curtain on what it's really like to pursue a creative dream when you're already working full-time and raising kids. This isn't about disappearing every weekend or having superhuman energy—it's about her and her husband trading off parenting time, communicating constantly, and accepting that rest is sometimes the thing that has to give.

If you've ever thought "I'd love to start something, but I have a full-time job and kids—there's literally no time," this episode will show you it's possible. Hard, exhausting, guilt-inducing at times—but possible.

You'll hear about:

• The reality of the triple juggle: full-time employee + full-time mom + business owner
• Why weekends became her business-building time (and how she and her husband make it work)
• The guilt that comes from every direction—work, motherhood, marriage, self
• Why concentrated weekend blocks are more productive than fragmented weekday minutes
• How to protect your work time, set realistic goals, and avoid resentment
• What her kids are actually learning (and why it's not what she expected)
• Making this sustainable without burning out
• Why she's doing it anyway—even when she's exhausted

Takeaway: There will never be a "perfect time" to start. If you wait for everything to line up perfectly, you'll be waiting forever. You can be a good mom, a good employee, and still pursue your dream. It's hard, but it's possible. And the example you're setting for your kids? That's worth the tired. That's worth the weekend shift.

Show Notes: You love sharing your work, but showing your face? That's a whole different story. Kathleen gets it—she could post embroidery hoops all day, but putting herself in front of the camera makes her stomach drop. But something changed when she joined the Gary Vee x Stan Store challenge and heard one directive that shifted everything: "Nothing is more niche than you."

In this vulnerable episode, Kathleen shares her journey toward visibility and why hiding behind your work isn't protecting you—it's holding you back. This conversation isn't about becoming an influencer or posting perfectly polished content. It's about understanding that your story, your face, your voice—that's what makes you different from every other creative person out there.

If you've been hiding behind your work, afraid people won't care about you (only what you make), this episode will give you the courage to start showing up.

You'll hear about:

• The Gary Vee x Stan Store challenge directive that changed Kathleen's perspective on visibility
• Why "nothing is more niche than you" is the most powerful marketing truth
• The real fears behind hiding (and what we're actually afraid of)
• What changes when you start putting your face in your brand—deeper connection, trust, and community
• Your story is your niche: why your unique journey can't be replicated
• 8 practical strategies for showing up even when you're terrified
• What your visibility actually does (beyond marketing)—permission, legacy, and healing
• A challenge to do one brave thing this week

Takeaway: You don't have to be more special or more interesting—you just have to be more you. Courage and fear can coexist, and the more you show up, the more you'll realize how much time you wasted hiding. People don't just buy products—they buy from people. Your face, your voice, your story? That's your brand's heartbeat.

• Gary Vee x Stan Store Challenge: garyvee.stan.store
• Free hand embroidery starter checklist
• Free hand embroidery workshop — from newbie to stitch pro in 30 minutes!
• Free 15-stitch guide and embroidery pattern collection
• Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons

"Mommy, can I help?" Those four words can spark instant panic when you're in the middle of your creative work. Do you say yes and risk things getting messy? Or say no and feel guilty? This week while prepping boxes for a sip and stitch event, Kathleen's kids wanted to help—and she had to make a choice.

In this heartfelt episode, Kathleen shares what happened when she said yes to crooked stickers and tiny fingerprints, and explores the beautiful tension between creating and mothering. This isn't about getting it perfect—it's about finding grace in the mess and understanding what your kids are really learning when they see you work.

If you've ever felt torn between protecting your creative time and including your kids, this conversation will help you navigate both without the guilt.

You'll hear about:

• The real tension between creating and mothering—and why it's not a problem to solve
• When to say yes to little helpers and how to set them up for success (without losing your mind)
• When it's actually okay to protect your creative time—and how to do it without guilt
• Win-win strategies that honor both your work and your kids' desire to be involved
• What your children are really learning when they watch you create (it's bigger than you think)
• Age-specific tips for including kids from toddlers to teens
• A message for the mama who's struggling to balance it all

Takeaway: Your kids don't need you to choose between being their mom and being yourself. The tension you feel isn't failure—it's proof you're honoring both parts of who you are. Some days your kids get more of you, some days your work does, and some days you find beautiful middle ground. All of those days are okay.

• Sip & Stitch event at Park Cafe November 8, 2025
• Free hand embroidery starter checklist
• Free hand embroidery workshop — from newbie to stitch pro in 30 minutes!
• Free 15-stitch guide and embroidery pattern collection
• Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons

Show Notes: Do you automatically reach for your phone every time you have a free moment? You're not alone—and it's not your fault. In this episode, Kathleen shares a personal story from a recent road trip that completely changed how she thinks about screen time. Instead of scrolling for hours, she stitched a denim jacket—and the difference in how she felt was remarkable.

This conversation isn't about phone shame or adding one more thing to your plate. It's about noticing what actually makes you feel better and giving yourself permission to choose it. If you've been wanting to reclaim some of that scroll time for creativity, this episode will show you how.

You'll hear about:

• The real psychology behind why we can't stop reaching for our phones (it's by design)
• Kathleen's road trip wake-up call and what she created instead of scrolling
• Why hand embroidery satisfies the same needs as scrolling—but actually fills your cup
• 7 practical swaps for those automatic phone-reaching moments
• How to make your creative projects more accessible than your phone
• The ripple effect of choosing creativity over consumption

Takeaway: You don't need superhuman willpower to break the scroll habit. You just need to replace it with something that makes you feel more like yourself. Start with one scroll session, one creative moment at a time.

• Free hand embroidery starter checklist
• Free hand embroidery workshop — from newbie to stitch pro in 30 minutes!
• Free 15-stitch guide and embroidery pattern collection
• Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons