The Create! Podcast

Courtney is a self-taught emerging fine artist, living and working in Denver, Colorado. She first explored illustration in late 2018 in an effort to understand the workings of her active, imaginative mind. She picked up a paintbrush for the first time in late 2019 when she was commissioned for her first mural. Her largest work to date is a 600-square foot mural in the heart of the RiNo Art District in Denver, CO.

She began exploring abstract painting to cope with the isolation of the pandemic in 2020, and she is currently building a body of work that finds a balance between the subjective and non-subjective. She seeks beauty in the evolving cycles both within nature and within the female body, and simple moments, like the awakening of a blooming flower and a cleansing breath. Courtney holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and minors in Human Sexuality and Psychology, and she is a trained yoga teacher and an advocate for mental health.

Connect with Courtney on Instagram @courtneygriffinart

In this episode, Alicia hosts an enlightening conversation with Sofía Zuluaga & Raffaella Freyre, Founders of WO Foundation. WO started with the need for women to come together and be able to strengthen their individual voices and knowledge through a collaborative system. In July 2020, WO commenced as a community founded by 4 female international artists who met in Barcelona and its incredible growth in the past year has propelled it to become WO Foundation Inc. The organization describes its mission as follows: We provide the tools and support for our community members to thrive through impactful educational programs and representational opportunities. These include exhibitions, representation of work, and connecting our members with galleries. In an art world that has been statistically discriminative towards women, our work towards change will have a lasting impact.

Ready to launch your own show? Work with Gita and Kat here:

https://yourownartshow.com

Are you having trouble figuring out what to focus on? Our guest Folasade Ologundudu shares her journey of getting clarity on her creative vision with host, Ekaterina Popova. We talk about travel, her platform LIGHT WORK, and how to navigate multiple projects in each season.

Light Work is a creative platform rooted at the intersection of art, education, and culture. We work with artists and entrepreneurs deeply rooted in visual arts, media, youth culture, and community building.

Sade is a Brooklyn-born writer and multidisciplinary creative specializing in journalism and storytelling through the lens of art and culture. A graduate of Brooklyn College, she received her Bachelor's degree in Business Management with a concentration in marketing and communications. She also holds a diploma in Digital Marketing from NYU's School of Professional Studies. She is the founder of Light Work, a creative platform rooted at the intersection of art, education and culture. Her podcast, produced through LightWork, explores the work of BIPOC artists with a focus on the African diaspora. Her critical work engages in art, education, and culture and can be seen in Art Forum, Artnet, Artsy, Hyperallergic, and Cultured Magazine.

Connect with our community here:

www.createmagazine.com

Alicia guest hosts an interview with Teri Henderson, a Baltimore-based curator, writer, and author of the book Black Collagists. We discuss the ups and downs of coordinating exhibitions and how she built a platform that champions the work of Black Collage artists. https://www.blackcollagists.com/

This episode was made possible by our generous sponsor Minted.

Minted, the premium design goods marketplace, is commemorating 15 years of empowering independent artists with the founding of the first annual Independent Artist Day on April 3, 2022 to honor contributions to the Minted creator economy and the arts at large. In celebration of the holiday, you can shop limited edition art, textiles, and stationery as a result of a creative open-call for design that demonstrates inspiration, strength and courage across art, textiles, and stationery. Through Monday, April 4, you can celebrate Minted's 15th anniversary with 15 percent off site wide, including fine art, and 25 percent off of Save the Dates with code CREATEMAG15. As with all Minted products, a portion of every purchase directly supports the careers of independent artists in the Minted community. Visit www.minted.com/lp/iad or follow them on Instagram @minted, for more information.

www.createmagazine.com www.marielleartaf.com

In this episode, Ekaterina Popova connects with the multi-talented artist, musician, and small-business owner of The Good Company, Misha Cook.

We talk about the challenges of running a small product-based business, how to trust your instincts, create whatever you want, and not worry about what other people think.

Misha is a Seattle and Montana-based multimedia artist and small business owner. Her work has a wide range and is mood dependent, whether it is ink drawings over morning coffee, illustrations, music, photography & creating products for her business. A true perfectionist, a hunger to succeed, and blissfully unbothered by others' opinions, Misha stays true to herself and, in doing that, hopes to evoke emotion, creativity, and individuality for viewers. Who says you can only be one thing?

She is the sole maker and owner of The Good Company. A completely handcrafted candle company that offers non-toxic and high-quality ingredients. What started out as a personal search for a product that she could trust in, emerged a full-fledged obsession and commitment to create products that would really deliver and that would look good while doing it. You can find her candles, artwork, botanical diffusers, hair + body oils, sugar scrubs, mustache waxes, and more at WEARETHEGOODCOMPANY.COM. Never stop creating & believe in yourself wholeheartedly.

www.wearethegoodcompany.com

@michacook_

https://www.createmagazine.com

Maria Brito is an award-winning New York-based contemporary art advisor, author, and curator. A Harvard graduate, originally from Venezuela, she was selected by Complex Magazine as one of the 20 Power Players in the Art World, and in 2020 she was named by ARTNEWS as one of the visionaries who gets to shape the art world. She has written for publications such as Huffington Post, Elle, Forbes, Artnet, Cultured Magazine, Departures, and the Gulf Coast Journal of Literature and Fine Arts from the University of Houston, Texas. Brito's newest book, How Creativity Rules the World: The Art and Business of Turning Your Ideas Into Gold is now available.

In this episode, Alicia host an interview with figurative artist, scenic painter, and independent curator Heather Heitzenrater. They discuss the artist's ongoing series of work centered around reflective surfaces and the human form, her experiences working as a scenic painter, and other highlights in her career thus far.

Heather Heitzenrater was born in 1992 and grew up in Punxsutawney, PA. She now lives with her husband and their two cats in Pittsburgh, PA. Heather received her BFA in Painting and Drawing from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2015. Her work has been shown Nationally including Erie Art Museum, Westmoreland Museum of American Art, and Baton Rouge Gallery. She has been published in Poet Artist Magazine, Pikchur Magazine and Minus 37. Heather has won awards, given artist talks, curated and juried local art shows. In addition, she is as an active member of The Associated Artists of Pittsburgh. Along with showing her work, Heather instructs figurative workshops at Pittsburgh Center of the Arts and is a Scenic Artist for ScareHouse. Heather and her husband, Christopher Boring, share a space at the Radiant Hall Susquehanna location.

Keep learning with Kat and join her Artist Navigation Course and free masterclass:

https://artqueens.co/navigation-course