The Creative Couch with Sam Marshall

Sam Marshall

The Creative Couch is a podcast about creativity, doubt, and finding your own way of making work. Hosted by artist and coach Sam Marshall, it’s a place to talk honestly about making work, staying connected to creativity, and building confidence over time.

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October 27 · 52 min
Episode 36: Art World Snobbery, Feeling Stuck & Finding Your Style
A little update from The Creative Couch! I'm heading off to Japan for a month of drawing, exploring and studying Japanese, so I'll be taking a break from the podcast throughout November. The Creative Couch will return in December! In the meantime, I'll be sharing my adventures in Japan through vlogs on my YouTube channel, so do come and subscribe if you'd like to follow along. I'm also running a little low on creative dilemmas, so if you've been thinking about sending one in, now is the perfect time! I'd love to hear from you at thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com. In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Jen, Agustina and Kate, exploring the exclusivity of the art world, navigating creative transitions and the difference between inspiration and copying another artist's work. Jen recently visited the French Riviera exhibition at the Royal Academy in London and found herself questioning the expectations we place on ourselves when looking at art. Why do we sometimes feel we're supposed to understand and appreciate everything? And how much of our experience is influenced by our own assumptions about the art world? Having visited the same exhibition myself, I share my rather different experience and explore how we can feel more comfortable engaging with art on our own terms. Agustina is a graphic designer from Argentina who is preparing for a big change in her working life. After 11 years in the same job, she's hoping to move to part-time work, develop her freelance career and spend more time in Patagonia. But months of waiting have left her feeling stuck, exhausted and uninspired. We talk about the challenges of being in a period of transition, the pressure to have everything figured out and why it's important to give ourselves time to grow into a new way of living. Kate raises a question that comes up frequently among artists: where do we draw the line between inspiration and copying? We explore the influence of social media, the creative limitations of reproducing somebody else's work and why developing your own artistic style is something that happens through making, experimenting and trusting your own way of seeing. Loving Lately This week I'm loving Love Village on Netflix, a Japanese reality dating series that follows a group of adults looking for love while living together in a house in the countryside. It's funny, touching, occasionally rather emotional and wonderfully Japanese. With my own trip to Japan coming up, I've been thoroughly enjoying it! Thank you so much for listening and for all your wonderful questions and dilemmas. I'll see you back on The Creative Couch in December! Sam x
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October 20 · 52 min
Episode 35: Valuing Your Art, Creative Pressure & Starting Again
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Karen, Jacq and Jennifer, exploring the value we place on our artwork, the challenges of balancing creativity with financial necessity, and how to begin a creative practice later in life. Karen is a Danish artist who has spent years generously giving her artwork away to friends and family. But after a friend negotiated a substantial discount on eight of her original watercolours, she's questioning whether she should stop giving work away altogether. We explore the difference between generosity and obligation, setting boundaries around pricing, and why it's important to recognise the value of our own creative work. Jacqui is an artist living with significant health challenges that affect her energy and mobility. Having rediscovered her love of painting, she's now studying, exhibiting and selling her work, but the financial pressure to make art that sells is beginning to affect her enjoyment of the creative process. We discuss separating artistic worth from commercial success, protecting creative curiosity and finding a sustainable balance between learning, making and earning. Finally, Jennifer writes on behalf of her retired friend Gai, who has discovered a love of acrylic painting and now has a room she can dedicate to a studio. But where should she start? We look at choosing materials, creating a practical workspace and establishing a regular creative practice without becoming overwhelmed by the possibilities. My Loving Lately this week is Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, which I saw in London with my dear friend Carly. I'm not usually a huge fan of musicals, but this extraordinary production completely blew me away. It was funny, moving, joyful and melancholy, with wonderful performances and an incredible set. It was also a particularly meaningful evening, as Into the Woods was the favourite musical of my dear friend Frances, Carly's wife, who sadly died in July. Seeing it together was a lovely way to remember her. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. Email thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com. You can find out more about my artwork, workshops and creative coaching at www.sammarshallart.com, and follow along on Instagram @sammarshallart. Thank you for listening!
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October 13 · 56 min
Episode 34: Creative Burnout, Building an Art Business & Finding Your Focus
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three creative dilemmas from Viv, Debbie and Sophie, exploring how to recover your creative motivation after an exhibition, how to prepare for launching an art business, and how to simplify a multi-creative career when you're feeling overwhelmed and pulled in too many directions. Viv has recently finished preparing work for an exhibition and feels completely depleted. With two more exhibitions approaching, she's struggling to find the motivation to paint and wondering whether investing in a mentor might help her move forward. We explore the emotional aftermath of exhibitions, the difference between creative exhaustion and dissatisfaction, and how to recognise when you might benefit from outside guidance. Debbie has rediscovered her love of art after thirty years and is developing a portfolio of nature and wildlife work following a move to Spain. Because of her current visa restrictions, she has around a year before she hopes to be able to sell her artwork. She's wondering how best to use that time, with so many possibilities competing for her attention. We talk about prioritising the artwork itself, resisting the temptation to build an elaborate business too soon, and developing an audience without becoming overwhelmed by social media. Sophie is an artist, yoga teacher and somatic coach whose business has developed in several different directions. She's finding it increasingly difficult to sustain everything financially and emotionally, and her own illustration practice has fallen by the wayside. We explore how to identify which parts of a creative business are worth continuing, why narrowing your focus can help you develop greater confidence, and how to reclaim space for making art simply because you enjoy it. My Loving Lately this week is Youth, the new Sharon Horgan comedy drama, available to watch on NOW. I love her sharp, funny writing and her ability to find humour and warmth in complicated relationships and the realities of getting older. In this episode, I explore: Recovering motivation and confidence after a demanding exhibition. The difference between creative exhaustion and wanting to change direction. Knowing when mentoring or coaching might be helpful. Building the foundations of an art business without losing sight of the artwork. Avoiding the pressure to be everywhere on social media. Simplifying a multi-creative business and understanding what's financially sustainable. Making time for a personal creative practice without expecting everything to generate income. As always, I look at each dilemma through both the emotional and practical layers, offering ideas, encouragement and small pieces of homework to help you move forward. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore on the podcast, I'd love to hear from you. You can send it to thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com.
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October 6 · 54 min
Episode 33: Reclaiming Confidence, Creative Fatigue & Working Independently
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Suzanne, Ella and Jane, exploring how to rebuild creative confidence after it has been badly damaged, why observational drawing can feel so mentally exhausting, and how to move from constantly taking courses to developing a creative practice of your own. My Loving Lately this week is Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth. I really enjoyed this one. Hepworth is brilliant at combining darker psychological suspense with sharp, funny writing, and I loved spending time with Mabel as a character. The Mother-in-Law is probably still my favourite of hers, but this was a really enjoyable read. Suzanne returned to art around four years ago after more than twenty years away from making. Her creative confidence was badly damaged when she was younger by comments from an art teacher and later by a boyfriend, despite the fact that she had flourished on her foundation course and been offered a place at a prestigious London art school. She has gradually found her way back through drawing, painting and sketchbook work, and recently entered three drawings into a local exhibition. But rather than feeling proud, she found herself comparing the achievement with the creative life she might have had and questioning whether her varied body of work means she still hasn’t found her artistic identity. We explore the power we continue to give old voices, why imagined alternative lives can become such damaging points of comparison, and why cohesion often emerges through making rather than being something we have to decide in advance. Ella works a day job to support her family and loves drawing and painting from observation, but finds that the intense concentration involved can leave her mentally drained. While other people describe art as relaxing, Ella often finishes a drawing session feeling even more tired than when she began, which makes her wonder whether she is doing something wrong or simply needs more practice. We explore the difference between something being restful and something being restorative, why observational drawing genuinely requires a huge amount of concentration, and why creativity doesn’t have to give you more energy than you started with in order to be worthwhile. Jane loves a creative course and has taken many over the years, from online classes and retreats to workshops at West Dean and other venues. But she is beginning to feel that she wants to move away from constantly being a student and develop a more independent creative practice at home. She has plenty of skills and ideas, but without the structure and accountability of a course, her own practice can become very stop-start. We explore why being the student can sometimes feel safer than directing your own work, how courses can quietly become a form of creative procrastination, and why developing an independent practice involves learning to make your own decisions and turn up for yourself. In this episode, we explore: • How to rebuild creative confidence after it has been badly damaged • Why old voices can continue to shape the way we see our own work • How to stop comparing your current creative life with the one you might have had • Why cohesion often emerges through making rather than being forced • Why observational drawing can be mentally exhausting • The difference between something being restful and restorative • How to work with your natural energy rather than against it • Why being taught can sometimes feel safer than directing your own work • How creative courses can become a form of procrastination • How to build more structure and accountability into an independent creative practice Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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September 29 · 52 min
Episode 32: Growing Slowly, Starting Again & Finding Your Creative Language
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Meg, Kathy and Taura, exploring how to grow a creative business when time is limited, how to make peace with returning to art later in life, and what happens when you're trying to find your own creative language rather than simply follow someone else's process. My Loving Lately this week is The Golden Hours by Louisa Young, the new continuation of The Cazalet Chronicles, written by Elizabeth Jane Howard's niece. I've really enjoyed returning to the world of the Cazalet family and spending time with these characters again. I also mention my Super Seconds Sale, which goes live on Saturday at 11am and runs until Monday at 10pm. I'll have a large selection of prints, test prints, seconds and older pieces available at reduced prices, including work from deep in my archives that hasn't been available for years. Meg has built a substantial creative practice around watercolour and linocut while home educating three children, renovating a house and running a smallholding in rural Ireland. She sells her work, exhibits regularly, teaches monthly linocut workshops and produces a wildlife calendar each year, but she is beginning to think about what the next chapter might look like. She would eventually love to have her own studio and teach more, and is wondering whether online teaching could be part of that future. We explore the difference between ambition and urgency, why growth doesn't always mean adding more, and how to build towards a long-term creative vision without overwhelming the life you already have. Kathy is 67 and returned to drawing after retiring from a 40-year career in healthcare. She originally studied art, but damaging comments from her professors destroyed her confidence and she moved away from creativity for decades. Now she draws for hours, works with fabric, builds things and always has a project underway, but sometimes feels she missed out on a lifetime of making art. We explore grief for the creative life you might have had, the danger of idealising the path you didn't take, and how to stop regret about the past from taking away from the creative life available to you now. Taura has moved between sewing, craft, painting and digital art and has a long-standing dream of designing her own knitwear. She enjoys learning through tutorials, but finds it much harder to take those skills and apply them to her own ideas. She often has plenty of ideas while doing other things, but draws a blank when she sits down to work and can become frustrated before a design feels resolved. We explore the difference between learning a technique and developing your own creative language, why the messy middle can feel so uncomfortable, and how experimentation can help take the pressure off the finished outcome. In this episode, we explore: • How to grow a creative business without simply adding more • The difference between ambition and urgency • Why comparing your capacity with other artists can be so unhelpful • How to test online teaching without building an entire course • What it means to grieve an unlived creative life • How to make peace with returning to art later in life • Why someone else's judgment doesn't have to remain your verdict • The difference between learning techniques and developing your own creative language • Why the messy middle is an essential part of making original work • How to experiment without putting pressure on every idea to become a finished piece Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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September 22 · 42 min
Episode 31: Privacy, Artistic Ethics & Trusting Your Style
A quick note before we start: I accidentally recorded this week’s episode without my usual microphone, so the sound is slightly more echoey than normal. Everything is clear, though, and I decided it was better to share the episode than record the whole thing again! In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Hope, Kathy and Gina, exploring privacy and openness online, the ethics of using other people’s images as artistic reference, and whether improving your technical skills can sometimes interfere with the very qualities that make your work your own. Hope has been making work inspired by landmarks in the village where she lives and running community workshops locally, but she has been reluctant to share much of this online because she worries about giving away too much information about where she lives. She knows this caution may now be holding her back from making local connections and sharing her work more authentically. We talk about the difference between choosing privacy and allowing fear to make those decisions for you, and how an ‘openness audit’ might help her work out what she genuinely feels comfortable sharing. Kathy is a tapestry designer and weaver who has used the Sktchy app for many years as a source of photographs to draw and paint from. One particular photograph inspired a large tapestry that became deeply connected to the time of her parents’ deaths. She would now like to exhibit it, but the original image is still recognisable and she has been unable to contact the person who uploaded the photograph. We explore permission, acknowledgement and artistic reference, and whether being transparent about where a piece began can allow her to exhibit it without feeling she has ignored the contribution of the original image. Finally, Gina is self taught and wonders whether her lack of formal training is actually part of what gives her work its particular character. She would like to understand perspective and colour better, but worries that learning the ‘correct’ way to do things might interfere with the slightly unconventional way she currently works. She is also questioning whether making bright, idyllic work feels frivolous when there is so much difficulty in the world. We talk about learning selectively, trusting the visual language you already have and whether choosing to notice beauty means ignoring everything else. My Loving Lately this week is The Land and Its People, the new book by David Sedaris. I’ve loved his writing for years, particularly the way he finds humour and absurdity in ordinary life while still allowing something much more poignant to sit underneath it. I also mention two upcoming workshops here at my new studio. There are currently two spaces available on my Multi-block Linocut Workshop on 10 and 11 October, and one space available on my one-day Etching Workshop on Saturday 24 October. All the details and booking information are on my website. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore on the podcast, you can send it to thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com.
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September 15 · 1 hr 2 min
Episode 30: An Honest Q&A About Art, Life, Choosing to Be Child-Free & Single, and the Story Behind My Positivity
In this week’s episode of The Creative Couch, I’m doing something a little different. While I waited for some new creative dilemmas to come in, I asked you to send me your questions instead, and you certainly did. Questions came in through Instagram DMs and the Creative Couch email, and there were far more than I could possibly answer in one episode, so apologies if I didn’t get to yours. I’ll definitely do another Q&A in the future. This is probably one of the most open and personal episodes I’ve recorded. I talk about my early life, the jobs I had before becoming an artist, studying at the Slade and the Royal Drawing School, and my years working in the advertising industry. I also answer some much more personal questions, including my relationship with food and being overweight as a child, my decision not to have children, why I’m happy being single, and some of the experiences that have shaped the person I am now. Quite a few of you asked about my positivity and how I manage to stay so joyful and optimistic. I talk honestly about where that comes from too, because my life certainly hasn’t always felt positive or easy, and that outlook has been something I’ve developed over time. There are questions about art, life, work, confidence, relationships, choices, ageing and all sorts of things in between. It’s a very candid, slightly sprawling Q&A, and probably a chance to get to know me a little better beyond the usual creative dilemmas. And thank you, because the dilemmas have started arriving again! Normal Creative Couch service will resume next week. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to answer on the podcast, please send it to thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com.
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September 8 · 43 min
Episode 29: Imposter Syndrome, Pushing Your Work Further & Selling Your Art
⭐ I’m desperate for more dilemmas! ⭐ I’ve now reached the end of the dilemmas currently sitting in my inbox, so if there is something you are struggling with in your creative life, however big, small, specific or strange it might seem, please send it in to: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com While I wait for some new dilemmas to arrive, next week’s episode will be a Q&A. So if there is anything you would like to ask me about my own creative practice, running an art business, teaching, printmaking, sketching, travel, creativity, or anything else you are curious about, please send your questions to the same email address. In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Donna, Anna and Jill, exploring imposter syndrome, how to push a body of work further and the pressure to monetise creativity. Donna is 52 and has spent much of her adult life raising four children, fitting her art around school runs, holidays and family life. Over the last couple of years she has been building her practice back up and has already run workshops, exhibited her work and tutored people one-to-one. Despite all of that, she constantly feels as though she is behind and worries that she is an imposter who will eventually be caught out. We explore the imaginary timelines we create for ourselves, the difference between being behind and simply having taken a different route, and what Donna might actually be waiting for before she allows herself to feel like a legitimate artist. Anna returned to a creative practice after retirement, having originally trained in textiles, and has since become increasingly interested in printmaking. Over the past year she has been developing a body of work called Fragments, based on decaying wreaths, and has now completed eight pieces ready for exhibition. But unlike previous projects, she does not feel ready to move on. She senses that the subject still has more to give and wants to know how to push the work further without simply repeating herself. We explore how to identify what is really underneath a subject, why staying with an idea for longer can lead to richer work, and how changing scale, process, materials and constraints can open up new directions. Jill has recently returned to painting after many years of raising children and working and is loving the experience of making art purely as a hobby. But whenever people see her work, they immediately tell her she should sell it or turn it into a business. She wonders why visual art attracts this reaction when nobody would necessarily ask someone learning a language, playing guitar or taking dance classes how they planned to monetise it. We discuss why people often use money as a shorthand for artistic value, how selling can introduce a very different set of pressures into a creative practice, and why you are allowed to be very good at something without needing to turn it into a business. Also in this episode, I share this week’s Loving Lately recommendation: Marks & Spencer croissants, which were absolutely delicious and have been a very simple but very welcome highlight of my week. In this episode, we explore: • Why feeling behind is often tied to an imaginary creative timeline • What imposter syndrome might actually be asking us to prove • Why external validation does not always make us feel more legitimate • How to identify the deeper subject underneath a body of work • Why staying with a theme for longer can lead to richer and more surprising work • How scale, process, materials and restrictions can help push work further • Why visual art so often attracts pressure to be monetised • The difference between enjoying making art and wanting to run an art business • Why selling your work can change the way you think about what you make • Why creative work does not need to earn money in order to have value Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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September 1 · 42 min
Episode 28: Finding Coherence, Making Art Responsibly & Fear of Criticism
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Amandine, Jen and Michelle, exploring artistic identity, environmental responsibility, creative guilt and the lasting impact of criticism. Amandine lives in France with her husband and four-year-old daughter and works full-time, so her creative practice has to fit into the small pockets of time she can find. She sketches in the evenings, draws alongside her daughter and keeps a bag of materials ready in the living room, but she worries that her practice feels fragmented and lacks a coherent artistic identity. Longer term, she would love to share her work with a community and perhaps sell some prints. We explore why style is not something you need to manufacture in advance, how coherence often emerges through repeated interests and ways of working, and why stepping away from the pressure to sell can create space for a more authentic body of work to develop. Jen is increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of making art, particularly while living somewhere where the effects of climate change feel very immediate. She tries to use what she already has, avoid unnecessary waste and steer away from toxic materials where possible, but still feels uneasy about the resources involved in making art. We discuss the difference between environmental awareness and environmental guilt, why trying to make art with no impact at all is probably an impossible standard, and how small, thoughtful choices can make a meaningful difference. I also reflect on how becoming clearer about my own artistic practice has made me much more selective about the materials I buy and use. Michelle returned to oil painting after many years away from art and built up a serious practice alongside a full-time job and family life. She rented a studio, entered competitions, sold work and completed a series of fifteen paintings she was incredibly proud of. Then a relative made a passing comment suggesting that all those paintings were a waste of materials. The remark affected Michelle far more deeply than she expected and led her to stop sharing her work, give up her studio, change mediums, work under a pseudonym and even try to give up art altogether. We explore why one seemingly small comment can become so powerful when it connects with an existing belief about ourselves, the difference between being an artist and earning your living from art, and why creative work does not have to justify its existence through sales or usefulness. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: the novelist Mary Lawson, and in particular her novel Crow Lake. Her writing is quiet, thoughtful and beautifully observed, with a wonderful sense of place and complicated family relationships. I’ve only recently discovered her work and absolutely loved this one. In this episode, we explore: • Why artistic identity often emerges through making rather than being decided in advance • How temporary constraints can help bring coherence to a fragmented creative practice • Why selling your work too early can sometimes distort what you actually want to make • The difference between environmental awareness and creative guilt • How small, realistic changes can make an art practice more sustainable • Why knowing which materials you genuinely use can reduce unnecessary consumption • How one passing comment can trigger much deeper beliefs about creative worth • Why being an artist is not the same as making your living from art • What happens when we try to make our work impossible for other people to criticise • Why creative work does not always need to justify its existence Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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August 18 · 49 min
Episode 27: Retiring as an Artist, Marketing Your Work & Finding Time to Create
A little podcast note: there won’t be an episode of The Creative Couch next week as I’m away for ten days and taking a short break. I’ll be back the following week with another three creative dilemmas. In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas exploring what it means to retire as an artist, how to market your work when you really don’t enjoy marketing, and what happens when a demanding working life leaves very little energy for your own creative practice. The first dilemma asks a question we perhaps don’t talk about enough: can you retire from being an artist? When making art has been such a significant part of your identity, what happens if you no longer feel the same drive to keep producing, exhibiting or pursuing opportunities? We explore the difference between retiring from the professional machinery around being an artist and actually stopping being creative, why our relationship with our work is allowed to change as we get older, and whether stepping away might sometimes be an evolution rather than an ending. Sophie wants to get her artwork out into the world, but there’s one fairly significant problem: she really doesn’t want to spend her time marketing herself. Like so many artists, she would much rather be making the work than continually thinking about Instagram, promotion and selling. We explore whether being a working artist really does mean becoming a full-time marketer, how to find forms of promotion that feel sustainable and natural, and why marketing doesn’t necessarily have to mean constantly shouting about yourself online. Anne-Maree works full-time as a teacher and desperately wants to make more of her own artwork, but by the time she has finished giving her energy to her job, she often feels she has very little left for herself. She is questioning whether she is genuinely too tired to make work or whether, somewhere along the way, she has started getting in her own way. We look at the reality of creative exhaustion, the danger of waiting for the perfect conditions to make art, and how small, protected pockets of creative time can help rebuild a practice without turning it into yet another obligation. Also in this episode, I share this week’s Loving Lately: The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett, which I listened to on Audible and absolutely loved. It’s funny, heartfelt and quite dark, full of wonderfully flawed and complicated people, and I found it completely absorbing. In this episode, we explore: • What it might actually mean to retire as an artist • Why our creative identity is allowed to change over time • The difference between stepping away from an art career and giving up creativity • How to market your artwork when you really dislike marketing • Why promotion doesn’t have to mean constantly posting on social media • Finding ways of sharing your work that actually suit your personality • The difficulty of maintaining a creative practice alongside full-time teaching • The difference between genuine exhaustion and creative avoidance • Why waiting until you have more time or energy can keep a practice permanently on hold • How very small amounts of regular studio time can begin to rebuild momentum • Why our creative lives need to be able to change alongside the rest of our lives Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas you can apply to your own creative practice. A little podcast note: there won’t be an episode of The Creative Couch next week as I’m away for ten days and taking a short break. I’ll be back the following week with another three creative dilemmas. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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August 11 · 44 min
Episode 26: Rejection, Finding Your Style & Protecting Studio Time
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Kate, Anabelle and Ruth, exploring rejection, artistic identity, finding your style, rebuilding confidence and learning to protect your creative time. Kate has spent the last six months trying to turn her lino printing into something more professional. She has created an Etsy shop and website, approached stockists and applied to craft and print fairs, but so far has had very little response. At the same time, she has accepted a well-paid corporate job, despite knowing that what she really wants is to become a full-time artist. The lack of sales and opportunities has begun to feel like evidence that perhaps nobody wants her work, while visiting galleries and exhibitions leaves her longing to be part of an art world that can feel frustratingly exclusive. We explore the difference between rejection and information, why six months is such a short period in the life of an artistic practice, and why sometimes the next step after making work is not selling it, but simply making more work. Anabelle studied art when she was younger but walked away from it twenty years ago after a difficult experience at university left her questioning her creativity. More recently, she has begun drawing again and challenging the story she has told herself for years that she is simply not a creative person. But after one drawing failed to live up to her expectations, she stopped working in her sketchbook altogether and is now questioning what she should draw, whether she should pursue realism or something looser, and how she is supposed to develop her own artistic style. We discuss why style is something that emerges through practice rather than something we choose in advance, how one disappointing drawing can reactivate very old beliefs, and why having a structure to follow can help us stop overthinking and simply keep turning up. Ruth has spent years teaching and supporting other people creatively and is now consciously trying to create more space for her own artistic practice. She wants to protect regular studio time, but struggles with how to describe that time to family and to herself. Calling it “work” feels uncomfortable when she is not currently exhibiting or selling, yet calling it anything softer seems to make it feel negotiable. We explore imposter syndrome, why unpaid studio practice is still work, the importance of treating creative time with the same seriousness as any other professional commitment, and how the boundaries we create around our practice teach other people how to respect it too. Also in this episode, I share this week’s Loving Lately: Finland Airport. After travelling through Helsinki recently, I was struck by how calm, considered and genuinely enjoyable the whole experience felt. It was one of those places that made travelling feel surprisingly easy, and I absolutely loved it. In this episode, we explore: • What rejection can and cannot tell us about our artwork • Why six months is a very short time to judge a creative career • The difference between being an artist and earning your entire income from art • Why the art world can feel exclusive when you're standing on the outside looking in • How old creative criticism can continue to shape the stories we tell ourselves • Why one unsuccessful drawing is not evidence that you should stop • How artistic style develops through practice rather than being chosen in advance • Why structure can help when you feel directionless in your creative practice • Why studio time is still work, even when nobody is paying you for it • How protecting your creative time helps other people learn to respect it • Why consistency often matters more than waiting for inspiration Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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August 4 · 1 hr 4 min
Episode 25: Creative Chat with Sarah Jane Moon | Portraiture, Teaching & Creativity
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I sit down with the wonderful artist and portrait painter Sarah Jane Moon for a relaxed and thoughtful conversation about creativity, portraiture and building a life as an artist. Originally from Wellington, New Zealand, Sarah Jane shares the story of how she moved to the UK, found her way into painting without a traditional Fine Art degree, and gradually established herself as one of today's leading contemporary portrait painters. Along the way, we talk about the realities of balancing a professional painting practice with teaching, the importance of finding your creative community, and how a creative career is often built through curiosity, persistence and a willingness to keep learning. We also discuss what portraiture can reveal about the people we paint, how teaching can both support and challenge your own creative practice, and why there is no single route into becoming a successful artist. In this episode, we explore: • Sarah Jane's journey from New Zealand to London • Finding your way into painting without a Fine Art degree • Building a creative career one step at a time • Balancing teaching with your own artistic practice • The importance of creative community and surrounding yourself with other artists • Portraiture, observation and painting people with honesty and sensitivity • How an artist's practice naturally evolves over time • The realities of making a sustainable living as a professional artist Whether you're just beginning your creative journey or have been making work for years, this conversation is full of thoughtful reflections on creativity, artistic growth and what it really means to build a life around making art. You can find Sarah Jane on Instagram at: @sarah_jane_moon You can also find her work at: www.sarahjanemoon.com If you'd like to submit a creative dilemma for a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at: @sammarshallart
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July 28 · 48 min
Episode 24: Success, Grief & Creative Overwhelm
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Kate, Susan and Coralie, exploring creative success, grief, burnout, overwhelm and how to protect the joy of making when life and work begin placing too many demands upon it. Kate returned to painting during lockdown after a twenty-year break from creativity. What began as a joyful, private practice gradually became a successful full-time career, with books, products, licensing opportunities and a large online audience. From the outside, she appears to be living the dream, but success has started to feel more like pressure than pleasure. We explore what happens when the artist and the brand become almost indistinguishable, why every launch can begin to feel like a verdict on your entire career, and how to create space for experimentation when creativity has become responsible for your income, identity and public success. Susan has spent approximately seven years caring for her parents while holding onto plans to develop her art practice and create a small business. Following the sudden death of her mother in May, she now has more time but feels lost, guilty and unable to enter her studio. At 64, she is telling herself there is no time to waste, but the urgency is leaving her frozen. We discuss why caring responsibilities were never an excuse, how grief can make new freedom feel more like absence, and why returning to creativity may need to happen gently, through the back door rather than the front. Coralie works digitally in animation, is developing a personal game project with her husband and is also caring for a very young baby. After revisiting The Artist’s Way, she has rediscovered her love of charcoal, coloured pencil, graphite, plein-air painting and paper miniatures. The excitement feels wonderful, but it quickly becomes overwhelming as she tries to turn every interest into a project or connect it to her professional work. We explore the difference between enthusiasm and capacity, why renewed creative energy after burnout needs to be protected, and how traditional materials might become a small place for play rather than another demanding part of her working life. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: Languages of Loss by Sasha Bates. The book follows Bates as she navigates the sudden death of her husband, drawing on both her personal experience of grief and her work as a psychotherapist. I’ve been reading it partly to educate myself about grief, but it has also been helping me process the recent death of my friend Frances and think about how I can best support her wife Carly, who is one of my closest friends. In this episode, we explore: • Why success can begin to feel like pressure rather than pleasure • What happens when the artist and the creative brand become difficult to separate • Why every launch does not need to become a verdict on your entire career • How people pleasing can shape the work we make and the opportunities we accept • Why caring for somebody is never simply an excuse for not progressing • How grief can make newly available time feel like absence rather than freedom • Why telling yourself there is no time to waste can leave you unable to begin • How to return to the studio gently after loss • The difference between creative excitement and genuine capacity • Why every new interest does not need to become a project • How to protect renewed creative energy after burnout • Why creativity sometimes needs to remain private, playful and deliberately unproductive Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore in a future episode, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you’re feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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July 21 · 36 min
Episode 23: Solo Exhibitions, Returning to Art & Creative Uncertainty
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Craig, Anouk and Linda, exploring artistic permission, returning to creativity after a long absence and building a creative life alongside chronic illness. Craig is a collage artist from Philadelphia who has completed an ambitious series of fifty bird collages. Although collectors are eager to buy the work, he's holding back because he dreams of exhibiting the entire collection in a solo exhibition. After approaching galleries without success, he's wondering whether organising his own exhibition would somehow make it less legitimate. We explore who gets to decide when an artist is ready, the difference between external validation and creative agency, and why sometimes the opportunities we wait for are the ones we're capable of creating ourselves. Anouk studied Fine Art after discovering a love of printmaking during her foundation course. But after feeling pressure at university to move away from work that seemed too illustrative, she gradually lost confidence and drifted away from making art altogether. Twenty years later she's rediscovering drawing and feels torn between returning to drypoint or embracing linocut. We discuss learning to trust your creative instincts again, why creativity rarely disappears completely, and whether becoming an artist is less about finding the perfect medium and more about consistently returning to the work. Linda has been living with chronic illness for more than a decade. Art has become a source of purpose, friendship and identity after having to step away from her previous career, but an uncertain benefits reassessment means she's unsure how to move her creative practice forwards without risking the financial support she relies upon. We explore what it means to build a creative life during seasons of uncertainty, how to balance security with ambition, and why laying creative foundations is never the same as standing still. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: Clearabee. With all the building work and studio renovations happening here recently, they've made clearing bulky waste remarkably easy. I also really appreciate their commitment to recycling and diverting as much waste as possible from landfill. In this episode, we explore: • Why waiting for permission can hold us back creatively • Whether organising your own exhibition makes it any less legitimate • The difference between external validation and creative agency • How to rebuild confidence after stepping away from art for many years • Why creativity often finds different outlets, even when we're not making art • Whether you really need to choose one artistic medium over another • How chronic illness can reshape identity and creative purpose • Why it's impossible to plan for every uncertain future • The importance of laying creative foundations, even when life feels on hold • Why becoming an artist is something we do through making, not something we're eventually allowed to call ourselves Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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July 14 · 43 min
Episode 22: Talking About Your Art, Saying No & Finding Your Style
Editor's note: During Della's dilemma I accidentally referred to her as "Bella" several times. My sincere apologies, Della. It was a genuine slip during recording, and I'm very grateful to you for sending in such a thoughtful question. In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Penny, Helen and Della, exploring talking about your artwork, setting creative boundaries and finding your artistic style. Penny is preparing for her very first open studio after years of creating mixed media work. She's not worried about whether her artwork is good enough or how to price it. Instead, she's anxious about something many artists quietly dread: talking about it. We explore the difference between talking about your work and explaining it, why viewers don't always need definitive answers, and how conversations about art can become much richer when we invite other people to bring their own experiences to the work. Helen is a professional artist whose realistic drawings have helped her build a successful creative career. Alongside creating and selling her work, she also teaches, but she's realised she's developed a habit of saying yes to almost every opportunity that comes her way. We discuss why the habits that help us build a creative career don't always help us sustain one, how to become more intentional about saying yes, and why protecting time for your own creative practice is every bit as important as creating new opportunities. Della is a self-taught linocut artist who has spent the last six or seven years developing her printmaking practice. Recently she's found herself worrying about whether she has a recognisable artistic style, while at the same time becoming increasingly frustrated that her more ambitious prints don't always match the images she has in her imagination. We explore why style is often something that finds us rather than something we consciously create, the gap between our eye and our ability, and why spending more time drawing may be one of the best ways to become a stronger printmaker. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: the Paul Noble language courses. As I continue learning Japanese, I reflect on why his calm, encouraging approach has made language learning feel so enjoyable and why his courses might be worth exploring if you've ever wanted to learn a language yourself. In this episode, we explore: • Why talking about your artwork doesn't mean explaining it • How to have more natural conversations with people viewing your work • Why artists don't need to have all the answers • The difference between building a creative career and sustaining one • Why saying yes to every opportunity can eventually hold you back • How to make more intentional decisions about your time and energy • Why artistic style is something you discover rather than design • The gap between your artistic eye and your current ability • How observational drawing can quietly make you a stronger printmaker • Why growing as an artist often means becoming more discerning, not more certain Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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July 7 · 47 min
Episode 21: Exhibiting, Printing & Opting Out
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to four thoughtful creative dilemmas from Jen, Laura, Sheena and Nikky, exploring art appreciation, printmaking, selling artwork, creative identity and the complicated relationship between creativity and success. Jen is preparing for an exhibition in her own studio later this year and has been reflecting on the difference between how artists are taught to critique and discuss artwork and how the wider public often experiences it. Beyond "I like it" or "It's not really my thing", many visitors seem unsure how to respond at all. We explore whether artists can create opportunities for richer conversations around their work, why so many people feel intimidated by art, and whether perhaps nobody ever really taught us how to look. Laura is a printmaker and collage artist who is considering opening an Etsy shop or online store and is wondering whether to invest in printing her own reproductions or work with a professional printer instead. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches, the questions worth asking when choosing a printer, and why you don't necessarily need to build tomorrow's business before you've made today's sales. Sheena joined one of my drypoint workshops last year and has since been happily printing editions from traditional lino. Her dilemma is one that many printmakers quietly wonder about: how do you know when it's time to stop, clean the block and start again? We talk about trusting what the print itself is telling you, the myth of the secret printmaking rulebook, and why experience often matters more than formulas. Nikky spent several years building a successful creative practice alongside a demanding full-time career, taking commissions, selling work and exhibiting regularly. But somewhere along the way, the joy disappeared and the thing that had once been a refuge became another source of pressure and expectation. After stepping away from selling her work, she found herself rediscovering the pleasure of making art simply for herself. We explore the pressure to monetise our creativity, the assumption that every artist should aspire to work full time, and whether success might sometimes mean protecting our relationship with creativity rather than growing it. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: the Paul Noble language courses. As I prepare for a week of intensive Japanese study in London, I reflect on the role his gentle and encouraging approach has played in my own language learning journey and why they might be worth exploring if you've ever wanted to learn a language yourself. In this episode, I explore: • Why so many people feel intimidated by art and unsure how to respond to it • How artists can encourage richer conversations around their work • The difference between judging art and experiencing it • The advantages and disadvantages of printing your own reproductions • The questions worth asking before choosing a professional printer • Why you don't need to build tomorrow's business before you've made today's sales • The myth of the secret printmaking rulebook • How to know when your lino block is telling you it needs attention • The pressure to monetise creativity and turn passions into businesses • Whether becoming a full-time artist should always be the end goal • Why protecting your relationship with creativity may sometimes matter more than growing it • What it really means to call yourself an artist Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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June 30 · 42 min
Episode 20: Creativity After Crisis, New Studio & Interrupted Practice
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Grace, Mary Lou and Kelly, exploring creativity after crisis, returning to the studio after major life changes, chronic illness, momentum, artistic identity and the spaces we create around our work. Grace wrote in after her seven-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes earlier this year. After months of hospital appointments, sleepless nights and constant vigilance, she has found herself returning to the studio feeling like a different person. A large woodcut she began before the diagnosis no longer feels as though it belongs to her, and she finds herself questioning her instincts and worrying more about what other people think of her work. We explore what happens when the mindset of monitoring and control follows us into the studio, the difference between play and curiosity, and whether creativity sometimes needs shelter before it needs an audience. Mary Lou is preparing to move back to Canada after several years living and making work in Belgium. Alongside shipping containers, boxes and studio equipment, she'll also be reunited with years of older work and materials waiting in storage. She's wondering how to approach setting up a new studio and creative routine without becoming overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff surrounding her. We discuss how old work can act as research rather than clutter, why some work quietly finishes its role in our lives, and how to create a studio that supports the artist you've become rather than the artist you used to be. Kelly lives with a chronic pain condition affecting her hand, meaning periods of painting and making are often interrupted by flare-ups and surgery. She finds herself repeatedly losing momentum and struggling to find her way back into projects after time away from the studio. We talk about the difference between a creative practice built around consistency and one built to survive interruption, the idea of grieving momentum, and how to leave a breadcrumb trail back into your work for future versions of yourself. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: The Daffodil Years by Helen Bain, a beautifully written fictional account of Sylvia Plath's later life in rural Devon that explores the woman behind the mythology and offers a quieter, more human portrait of one of literature's most iconic figures. In this episode, I explore: • What happens when a period of crisis or vigilance follows us into the studio • The difference between play, curiosity and creative freedom • Why creativity sometimes needs shelter before it needs an audience • How to honour older work whilst making space for who you're becoming • How moving countries or studios can become an opportunity for reflection and reinvention • Why old work can be a form of research rather than simply storage • How to create a studio that supports the artist you are now • The difference between a creative practice built around consistency and one built to survive interruption • Why some artists may be grieving momentum rather than losing motivation • Practical ways to return to projects after unexpected breaks and interruptions Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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June 23 · 43 min
Episode 19 : Burnout, Selling Art & Finding Your Direction
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Claudia, Sophie and Caroline, exploring burnout, artistic identity, selling artwork, creative validation and the challenge of moving beyond your comfort zone. Claudia is recovering from severe burnout after a lifetime of pursuing challenge, achievement and new experiences. Recently diagnosed with autism and ADHD, she finally has the time, space and resources to dedicate herself to art. Yet instead of feeling liberated, she feels paralysed. Torn between botanical illustration, oil painting, printmaking and mokuhanga, she worries that choosing one path means abandoning all the others. We explore the difference between curiosity and achievement, why art doesn't have a finish line, and whether her real challenge might not be choosing a medium but learning how to stay with something after the novelty has worn off. Sophie is a mixed-media artist and teacher from New York who dreams of making larger, more ambitious textile and mixed-media work. She has built a website and online shop but struggles to generate sales, dislikes markets and has consciously chosen not to use social media. As a result, she finds herself questioning whether she can justify investing more time, space and energy into her creative practice. We talk about the difference between an art practice and an art business, why sales aren't the same thing as validation, and how artists can build visibility without relying on social media. Caroline has been steadily drawing flowers for several months and feels ready to move beyond simple studies. She'd love to create richer, more complex compositions, but every time she tries she feels overwhelmed and doesn't know where to begin. We discuss how to create a simple still-life setup that can act as a stage for her drawings, allowing confidence and complexity to grow naturally over time. Also in this episode, I answer a quick listener question from Katharina about painting churches, landmarks and tourist attractions, and whether artists are allowed to sell postcards and artwork based on those locations. In this episode, I explore: • The difference between achievement and curiosity in a creative practice • Why some artists struggle when there is no clear finish line or measure of success • How burnout can affect the way we approach creativity • The relationship between novelty, mastery and artistic growth • Why sales should not be the sole source of creative validation • The difference between an art practice and an art business • Alternative ways to build visibility without relying on social media • How to move from simple studies to more complex compositions • The value of creating a familiar framework for your drawings • Why artists often worry about invisible rules that don't really exist Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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June 16 · 42 min
Episode 18: Digital Art, Creative Time & Leaving Teaching
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Mimi, Louise and Cally – exploring digital art, creative time, financial security and the realities of building a creative life. Mimi is a retired nurse, educator and psychotherapist from the Pacific Northwest who returned to her first love of making art later in life. She creates digital artwork using Procreate and produces giclée prints, but has repeatedly been told by local exhibitions that they "don't do digital work". We talk about misconceptions around digital art in the age of AI, why some art spaces may still be catching up with newer mediums, and how artists can find their audience even when traditional institutions don't yet understand their work. Louise is a hand embroidery artist from South Africa who left teaching to pursue her creative practice full time. While she feels incredibly grateful to be making a living through commissions, she finds herself with little time left for her own ideas, series and creative exploration. We discuss the tension between earning from creativity and protecting it, why your own work deserves a place in the diary alongside paid work, and the importance of creating boundaries around creative time. Cally is a printmaker and secondary school teacher who has spent more than twenty-five years balancing teaching with her artistic practice. Now in her fifties and feeling burnt out, she wonders whether she should take a sabbatical, retire early or continue teaching for a little longer. We talk about grief for the creative life we imagined we'd have, financial fears rooted in childhood experiences, and why building a runway towards change can sometimes be kinder and wiser than taking a leap into the unknown. In this episode, I explore: • Why rejection isn't always about quality, but sometimes about category and understanding • How artists working in newer mediums can help audiences connect with their process • The challenge of protecting personal creativity when paid work fills every available hour • Why creating boundaries around creative time can be just as important as earning from it • The grief many creatives feel for the artistic life they imagined they might have had • How financial fears rooted in childhood experiences can shape creative decisions decades later • Why gathering information can be more helpful than making dramatic leaps • The difference between taking a leap and building a runway towards change • How to make decisions from facts rather than fear Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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June 9 · 34 min
Episode 17: Pricing Artwork, Creative Flip-Flopping & Hobby Businesses
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Caroline, Alison and Laurel – exploring the emotional complexity of pricing artwork, the overwhelm of constantly changing creative direction, and the question of whether a calming creative hobby should become a business at all. Caroline is a printmaker who has started selling her linoprints at fairs and markets, but pricing her work leaves her constantly second guessing herself. If a print doesn’t sell, she feels tempted to lower the price immediately, yet afterwards worries she has undervalued the work entirely. We talk about the emotional side of pricing creative work, the pressure of standing beside your work at fairs, why artists often struggle to separate value from self-worth, and how to develop a pricing framework that feels sustainable without losing accessibility and generosity. Alison started drawing and painting three years ago and has become completely obsessed with creativity, but finds herself constantly flip-flopping between watercolour, acrylic, mixed media and different artistic influences online. Every new artist she discovers sparks excitement, but also leaves her feeling creatively unanchored and unsure what direction to pursue. We talk about overstimulation in the internet age, the difference between curiosity and creative fragmentation, why style usually emerges slowly through repetition, and the importance of staying with something long enough to move beyond the initial excitement. After retiring two years ago, Laurel discovered crocheting and now describes it as “yoga for my hands.” She’s been making beautiful ponchos for friends and family and is wondering whether she should start selling them online through somewhere like Etsy. But with each piece taking weeks to make, she feels unsure whether she wants a business at all, or simply a gentler way of sharing her work. We talk about the pressure to monetise hobbies, the emotional shift that happens when creativity becomes commercial, and how to share handmade work without losing the joy that made you fall in love with it in the first place. In this episode, I explore: • Why pricing artwork is often far more emotional than practical • The pressure artists feel when selling work face-to-face at fairs and markets • How accessibility and sustainability can sometimes pull in opposite directions • Why social media can leave creatives feeling overstimulated and creatively fragmented • The difference between curiosity and constantly abandoning work too soon • How artistic style often emerges slowly through repetition rather than force • The pressure many people feel to monetise hobbies after retirement • Why creativity does not always need to become a full business • Gentler ways to begin sharing handmade work without losing the joy of making Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart
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