The Create! Podcast

A lot of us went to art school and never actually learned how to paint. We were told to go make something and figure it out, which is great, but it often leaves us limited by our ability to bring our ideas to life. If that's you, you're not alone, and this episode is a permission slip to learn something new if you feel stuck.
My guest today is Alonsa Guevara, a Chilean American artist whose work has been exhibited internationally and featured in Forbes, Time Out New York, and VICE. I had the privilege of working with Alonsa and learning more organized ways to mix paint, organize color temperature, and more.
On this episode, we talk about her evolution from conceptual work to more realism in her paintings, and she also announces her new course, Alive Nature, here for the first time. Focusing on florals, botanicals, and fruit, it spans seven modules and is built so a complete beginner can follow along.
The waitlist gets first access and a discount. Doors open September 16 and close September 20. Links to join are below, and yes, I'm on that waitlist myself!
Come find us on the Create! Magazine Substack too. That's where I share essays on galleries, pricing, and building a creative career you love. createmagazine.substack.com
🔗 Links & Mentions
Join the Alive Nature Course Waitlist: waitlistcourse.com/alonsaguevara
Follow Alonsa Guevara: @alonsaguevara on Instagram
Visit Alonsa's Website: https://www.alonsaguevara.com
💡 Episode Highlights
The Reality of Art School: Why many traditional and contemporary programs focus heavily on conceptual thinking rather than the technical craft of painting.
The Power of Observation: How practicing through careful study and copying helps build an internal visual library for future original work.
Decoding Color Temperature: Understanding how subtle shifts in temperature can make a painting feel alive rather than flat.
Intuition as Knowledge: Redefining intuition not as random luck, but as accumulated technical knowledge and experience.
Inside Alive Nature: A breakdown of Alonsa's brand new online course designed for all skill levels, with step by step guidance on botanical and fruit painting.

How do you translate the memory of a landscape into a rich, tactile painting? And how do you sustain a meaningful studio practice when life and work get demanding?
In this episode of the Create! Podcast, Kat sits down with Lansing, Michigan-based visual artist and educator Laurén Gerig. Laurén shares her thoughts on place attachment, building expressive paint surfaces, and using poetry to set the stage for intuitive studio sessions. We also dive into the realities of balancing a demanding day job in academia with an active exhibition schedule, and how small micro-moments in the studio can help you overcome creative fatigue and keep momentum alive.
In this episode, we talk about:
Capturing the psychological bonds we create with landscapes and nature
The tactile joy of thick mark-making, paint accumulation, and surface texture
Using poetry as a studio ritual to transition into making work
Navigating life as both a practicing artist and a university gallery director
Making room for low-pressure, small-scale work like 20-minute charcoal drawings
How running and stepping away from the easel can serve as the ultimate creative reset
Connect with Laurén Gerig:
Website: www.laurengerigart.com
Instagram: @laurengerigart
Stay connected with Create! Magazine:
Subscribe to the Create! Substack for more artist stories and reflections: www.createmagazine.substack.com
Submit your work for an upcoming issue of Create! Magazine: www.createmagazine.co/call-for-art

Imagine pouring your heart into a massive sculpture, only to watch it crash to the floor. What if that disaster was exactly what your practice needed?
In this episode of The Create! Podcast, host Ekaterina Popova talks with multimedia visual artist, curator, and educator Rebecca Casement. Based in Michigan, Rebecca creates affective, abstract sculptures and installations using ceramics, mixed media, sound, and textiles. This conversation explores her practice of pushing materials to their breaking point and why building instability into artwork mirrors life's unpredictability.
Episode Highlights:
The Beauty of Instability — why Rebecca intentionally builds heavy, precarious clay sculpture with a high likelihood of breaking in the kiln
A Shift in Perspective — the story of a shattered personal sculpture that changed her entire artistic mindset
Art as a Lifestyle — how to ditch the burned-out artist trope, protect your physical energy, and bring joy back into a daily studio practice
Carried Together — inside her new collaborative project featuring 14 women artists exploring community and care
About Rebecca Casement: Rebecca Casement is a multimedia visual artist, curator, and educator who creates affective abstract sculptures and installations. Raised in rural Michigan, she developed a habit of creative experimentation with materials that carries into her studio practice today. Focused on material language and history, her work is both emotive and honest. Rebecca holds an MFA in Studio Art and a Certification in College Teaching from Michigan State University.
Connect with Rebecca: https://www.rebeccacasement.com/
Community & Opportunities: Join our Substack for fresh articles, longer-form insights, and community conversation. Submit your work to our current open call, The Artist's World, juried by Marina Press Granger, at createmagazine.com/call-for-art.

In this episode of the Create! Podcast, Kat sits down with artist, author, and board-certified art therapist Leah Guzman to explore how creativity can serve as a sanctuary for healing, emotional expression, and personal evolution.

Together, they unpack the pressure artists put on themselves, navigating creative burnout, taking intentional breaks from exhibiting, and why the physical act of making art is proven to lower stress and regulate the nervous system. Leah shares practical, low-friction habits to help you reconnect with your art practice without judgment or attachment to the final result.

In this episode, we chat about:

How art functions as emotional expression and healing during major life transitions.

The neuroscience behind art therapy and lowering cortisol levels.

Letting go of high-pressure exhibition timelines and career perfectionism.

Simple studio hacks to eliminate friction and build a daily creative habit.

Leah's upcoming Creative Soul Retreat and using body mapping, animal guides, and focus wheels to clear mental fog.

Connect with Leah Guzman & Resources:

Join Leah's 3-Day Creative Soul Retreat ($7)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/art.therapy.online

https://www.leahguzmanstudio.com/creative-soul-society-membership
Stay Connected with Create! Magazine:

Subscribe to the Substack: https://createmagazine.substack.com

Official Website: https://www.createmagazine.com

In this episode, Ekaterina Popova welcomes back artist, muralist, author, podcaster, and educator Brandi Hofer to discuss the evolution of her multifaceted creative life. They dive into the realities of being a working artist and mother, why it is essential to embrace play without judgment, and how to quiet the self-doubt often picked up in traditional academic spaces.

Brandi shares the story behind her viral, accessible portrait techniques, her monumental 3,082 square foot Truth and Reconciliation mural project, and her upcoming creative retreat in Portugal scheduled for June 2027. This conversation is an honest, approachable, and inspiring reminder to trust your gut and make space for genuine creative joy.

Key Topics Covered
Multifaceted Creativity: Embracing the seasons of your life and allowing your artistic interests to evolve.

Shattering Art School Myths: Why tools like projectors are just another way to create, and how to let go of perfectionism.

The Power of Play: Returning to your art practice without judgment and rediscovering the childlike wonder of making.

Big Projects & Manifestation: Insights into Brandi's massive community murals and her upcoming 2027 creative retreat in Portugal.

Balancing Motherhood and Art: Navigating family life, community building, and carving out space for your passions.

Connect with Brandi Hofer
Join the Retreat
Portrait Class
Website: https://www.brandihofer.ca

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandihoferstudios