In this vulnerable conversation with my artist friend Eli, we unpack our most challenging moments of 2024: her painful experience with an interior design store exhibition and my social media marketing roadblocks after moving to the US. We discuss how sometimes the art world can deeply wound us, yet these experiences shape our path forward. This episode is for every artist who has felt small in the face of rejection or lost in their creative journey.

Meeting Eli & Our Artistic Journeys

How Eli and I met through a shared love of watercolor

The bond we've built as artists navigating ups and downs

Looking Ahead: 2025 & Creative Uncertainty

Will Eli return to painting? (I really hope so!)

Reflecting on 2024’s struggles and setting creative intentions for the new year

The Exhibition That Broke Eli

Behind the scenes of an interior design store exhibition

The emotional toll, miscommunications, and lessons learned

Transitions & Social Media Burnout

My move to the U.S. and its impact on my art

Losing access to my Facebook and Instagram—what that meant for my work

• The bird metaphor: learning to let go what no longer serves us

Questions we tackled!

What was the most challenging moment for you in 2024, and how did you navigate through it?

How have your personal relationships shaped your year, and what lessons have you drawn from them?

Mentioned:
Eli’s Website: https://www.elimiklavcic.com/
Eli’s Moon Paintings mentioned during the podcast can be seen here: https://www.elimiklavcic.com/portfolio/moon

Letting Go, Moving Forward: Lessons from a Bird on Starting Over| #NatureLessons Ep. 013

Wanting to choose your guiding word? This episode will help! Word of the Year: Emerge to Mission | #ArtGoals Ep. 020

I also have a Youtube video covering this here: https://youtu.be/9m04kkaKKaU

Find me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@miwagardner_art