Loveis Wise was a junior in college when she got her first art commission with Refinery 29 and a senior when she became the second black women in the history of The New Yorker Magazine to design its cover. Loveis grew up poor and no one in her family thought you could make any money making art but Loveis knew what she wanted and she want for it.

Some things we talk about:

Michelle Gardella is an internationally recognized photographer who hustled her way out of poverty to become one of the top 30 photographers in the world by Rangefinder Magazine and one of the top ten photographers in the US by Professional Photographers of America. Today Michelle is a truth-teller who uses her camera and her words to ferret out the false and showcase the real through her River Story Sessions and her writing. She has launched two successful Kickstarter campaigns, self-published her book River Story, and is currently working on her memoir.

Some things we talk about:

Susannah Conway's business was born out of grief. When her partner died unexpectedly of a heart attack thirteen years ago, Susannah turned to photography and writing as a way through. Photography brought her into the present moment while writing helped her sort through the past ones. But eventually, her photography and writing turned into a thriving online business helping thousands of women around the world feel less alone and more alive. Today Susannah runs a six-figure business, taking pictures, writes, and teaches courses including The Sacred Alone, Your Daily Guidance, and Journal Your Life.

Some things we talk about:

Arielle Estoria never wanted to be center stage but sometimes life decides your path for you. In college Arielle stumbled into slam and spoken word poetry. Her words had power. They resonated and moved the audience. Arielle decided to devote one year after college to her creativity. One year turned into four and today Arielle performs on stages around the world, bringing people together through the power of vulnerability, truth, and love.

Some things we talk about:

Carrie Schmitt is a painter, writer, and teacher. Several years ago Carrie became so sick she couldn't move. Any physical exertion would cause her body to break out in hives and her entire system to overheat. The only thing left, the only relief she found, was in painting. Thus began Carrie's life as a full-time artist. Today Carrie teaches workshops, has several books, sells art around the world and has a clothing line coming.

Some things we talk about:

Emma Louise Sophia is a writer, photographer, and teacher. Emma did not have an easy time of it growing up. She battled eating disorders, depression, and anxiety. But then she met and fell in love with her future husband and got pregnant and that changed everything. Emma sobered up, pulled what had come apart back together, and settled into a whole new life as a mom, an artist, and an entrepreneur. Today she lives in Marrakech, Morocco with her husband and three kids teaching personal development through personal discovery to thousands of men and women around the world.

Some things we talk about:

Multi-disciplinary artist, Liz Tran, makes joy for a living. Her art is big and colorful and full of play. It is about extroversion and experimentation and all the things that look like happiness. Art is where Liz escaped from anxiety and depression and found safety and freedom. Today Liz's work is all over the world. From Toronto to Miami, San Francisco to Iceland, her paintings and sculptures hang in galleries, museums, and the homes of private collectors.

Some things we talk about:

May it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.

Sheila Pree Bright is a photographer using the camera to change how we see the world. Her work has won numerous awards, she was a runner-up for the million dollar TED prize, her photographs have appeared in galleries and museums around the world and she lectures all over the country. Her images break down old beliefs, shake up stereotypes, and help us all see the “other” for what they truly are: people. Sheila's photography is more than art, it's activism, change, and love.

Some of what we talk about:

May it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.

Mati was 18 months old when her father died in a car accident. He was an artist, a woodcarver.

As Mati got older, she made a lot of art but making art was hard because it reminded her of death. And then when Mati was 29, she went to art school and she gave her life to art. Mati got an agent. She wrote and illustrated children’s books. She started a blog and built an online following.

Today, Mati leads workshops all over the world, her books include Daring Adventures in Paint and Painting the Sacred Within, she has over ten online courses, and her original art can be found in private collections around the world.

Art is no longer about death for Mati. Art is what makes Mati come fully alive.

heads up: this conversation was recorded in Thailand. There is a clicking sound in the background. That is a gecko.

Gabrielle Tesfaye has been making art forever. When she was little she knew she would be an artist. When she went to art school and people asked her what she planned to do with the rest of her life she simply replied, "make art." And that's what she does. All the time. Gabrielle has figured out how to devote one's life to doing exactly what one wants. In this conversation we talk about: