Ep#12 - Capturing emotional landscapes - with artist Orla Stevens
In this delightful episode, the wonderful Orla Stevens takes us on a journey through the Scottish landscapes that have shaped her artistic vision - from the mists of the Trossachs to the wild beauty of Orkney. We delve into how she transforms the often grey and green Scottish countryside into explosively colourful works that capture not just what she sees, but how these places make her feel.Orla also shares her unique practice of incorporating sound into her visual work, drawing what she hears in the landscape and translating music into colour palettes. We chat about the reality of being a full-time artist, and how you're really juggling two full-time jobs. One of my favourite insights from our conversation is Orla's approach to business and art as mutually supportive rather than competing forces. Her teaching and community-building work creates space for her personal painting practice, showing how both sides of an art business can feed each other.✍ Read the full show notes here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/journal/ep12-orla-stevens💌 Never miss an episode - sign up here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/keepintouch🎶 Music by the incredible Caspar Riis: https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis. Used with permission.
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Ep#11 - Patterns, performance, & painting the vibes - with artist Kyla Yager
In this episode, I sit down with the incredible Kyla Yager, a Toronto-based artist who has turned her ADHD into her creative superpower.Kyla creates what she calls "intuitive ADHD art" - maximalist, pattern-rich paintings that capture the energy and emotion of the moment. Her work is a celebration of neurodivergent experience, transforming the hyperactivity of her mind into stunning visual expressions that invite others to unmask and connect with their own authentic selves.Kyla shares how her artistic evolution mirrors her journey of unmasking her neurodivergence - from hyperrealistic portraits in her youth to the explosive, pattern-filled canvases she creates today. One of the most fascinating aspects of Kyla's practice is her love of live painting and speed competitions. She describes the rush of creating in front of audiences, how she channels the energy of a room into her work, and why performing whilst painting makes her feel most alive.We explore Kyla's belief that art speaks louder than words and how she uses her practice as both personal therapy and a tool for connecting with others. Her work creates safe spaces for people to explore their own emotions and experiences of otherness.✍ Read the full show notes here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/journal/ep11-kyla-yager💌 Never miss an episode - sign up here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/keepintouch🎶 Music by the incredible Caspar Riis: https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis. Used with permission.
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Ep#10 - Zines, punk, and creative fearlessness - with artist Dave Conrey
In this episode, I sit down with the wonderful Dave Conrey - artist, graphic designer, and zine-maker extraordinaire - for a conversation that had me itching to get back to my studio before we'd even finished recording.Dave and I originally connected way back in 2013 (which is basically a century in internet years), and it was such a joy to reconnect and dive deep into his creative practice. What I love about Dave is not only how fearless he is when it comes to his creative output, but how excited he gets about his work too. He was so inspiring to talk to!If you're someone who gets excited about DIY/punk culture, is looking for a way to bring more tangible, touchable art into your life, or has ever wanted to make a zine but didn't know where to start, this episode is absolutely for you. Dave's enthusiasm for experimentation and his "what would happen if..." approach to making art is genuinely infectious.✍ Read the full show notes here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/journal/ep10-dave-conrey💌 Never miss an episode - sign up here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/keepintouch🎶 Music by the incredible Caspar Riis: https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis. Used with permission.
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Ep#9 - Studio journals, sea swimming, and sensory memory - with artist Tara Leaver
This week I'm absolutely delighted to share my conversation with Tara Leaver, an artist and educator whose journey back to creativity after depression is both inspiring and deeply relatable.Tara and I first connected back in 2016, and what I've always loved about her approach is how she teaches the often-overlooked elements surrounding art-making - the mindset work, the process development, and crucially, how to find your own artistic voice rather than simply copying your teachers.In this episode, we dive deep into Tara's fascinating dual practice of making sea-inspired paintings in Cornwall whilst simultaneously supporting other creatives through courses and mentorship. She's refreshingly honest about the challenges of context switching between these two sides of her work.What really captivates me is how Tara translates her sensory experiences of swimming in the cold Cornish sea into her paintings. Her process is a beautiful marriage of visual reference and sensory memory. We also unpack her concept of the "Happy Artist" - which isn't about perpetual joy, but rather about being an artist within the full context of human life.As Tara puts it, we're not creating in bubbles; we're artists with lives that happen outside the studio, and acknowledging that context is crucial for sustainable creative practice.✍ Read the full show notes here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/journal/ep9-tara-leaver💌 Never miss an episode - sign up here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/keepintouch🎶 Music by the incredible Caspar Riis: https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis. Used with permission.
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Ep#8 - Why it’s your job to be delusional & unrealistic - with writer Amie McNee
This week's chat is with the absolutely brilliant Amie McNee, author of the brand new book We Need Your Art: Stop Fucking Around And Make Something – which, by the way, is hands down one of the best books on creativity I've ever read. Seriously, I put it down halfway through just to go make some art, which is exactly what you want from a creativity book, isn't it?Amie is first and foremost a storyteller and fiction writer, but over the past decade she's also developed this beautiful side career championing artists and documenting what it actually means to do the brave thing of making art and putting it out into the world.We dive deep into so many juicy topics in this conversation. We talk about why creativity is literally your birthright (not something you need to earn or prove you deserve), the relationship between art-making and healing, and why perfectionism is the absolute worst trait an artist can have.Amie shares her beautifully unromantic approach to creative practice, we nerd out about the brain chemistry of creativity and what art does to our nervous systems, and she shares all the goss about her experience with traditional publishing versus self-publishing.But perhaps most importantly, we talk about why making art – in any form – is genuinely revolutionary when the world wants you scrolling on your phone instead. Why artists sit at the very centre of making this world a better place, and why we absolutely must be delusional and unrealistic in our creative ambitions.✍ Read the full show notes here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/journal/ep8-amie-mcnee💌 Never miss an episode - sign up here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/keepintouch🎶 Music by the incredible Caspar Riis: https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis. Used with permission.
Join AuDHD artist Elinor Trier aka Zuzu (who might possibly be a pile of cats in a sparkly trench coat) as she talks to her fellow artists and creatives about the magic of the creative process - what they make and, in particular, how they make it - their rituals and workflows, inspirations and disenchantments, ebbs and flows. If you enjoy conversations about art, creativity, neurodivergence, and business, then you’re in the right place.Find out more at https://zuzushausofcats.com/
UK