In this heartfelt episode of Paige’s Pod, Paige sits down with Laurie Roberts, founder of Larry Roberts Chicago, to talk about love, loss, creativity, and what it means to carry someone’s legacy forward through art. Laurie shares the cinematic “meet cute” of how she met her late husband, Larry Roberts - an artist who created from deep emotion, using painting as therapy and self-expression. We talk about the vulnerable (and very real) difficulty of selling work that feels like a piece of your soul, and how Laurie supported Larry through the behind-the-scenes business side while he stayed rooted in the creative process. Laurie opens up about Larry’s acute myeloid leukemia (AML) diagnosis in 2017, his final series of paintings, and the early days of grief - when everything went off the market and she didn’t yet know what came next. That “next” became a powerful new chapter: transforming Larry’s artwork into heirloom-quality, hand-knotted rugs, textiles, and home pieces - crafted with artisans in India and built to last for generations.Together, Paige and Laurie talk about:
- The beauty (and challenge) of being a multi-passionate creative
- Why art and color can shift mood, support healing, and bring joy to everyday spaces
- Taking risks in business, pivoting when needed, and the truth about “overnight success”
- How creativity can support people through hard seasons - especially illness, caregiving, and grief
- Laurie’s advice for anyone wanting to honor a loved one’s artistic legacy in a meaningful way
This conversation is tender, inspiring, and full of permission to keep creating - even when life breaks your heart. Connect with Laurie + explore Larry’s work:
Website: LarryRobertsChicago.com
Social: @LarryRobertsChicago (Instagram / YouTube / Facebook)