Authentic Obsessions

Risa Iwasaki Culbertson is a multi-disciplinary artist in San Francisco, CA with a focus in fiber arts, illustrating, and storytelling. Biracial and born in Japan, she creates art to bridge the gap between her two worlds. Inspired by the healing and connective power of humor and play, she creates her wacky, whimsical, and colorful work to process deep emotions in grief and joy, while creating places of belonging and finding ways to stay connected to those we love. Molly Meng talks to Risa about creating for the experience instead of the object, drilling down big feelings to the essence of their meaning, and and how the work you make often doesn’t make sense when you’re going through grief. Takeaways Our job as artists is to be the steward to the stories and lessons that have been passed down. Artists are a great bridge for bringing people together. What have you done lately that has scared the shit out of you? You have to get extremely comfortable saying no. Make eye contact with all humans at every opportunity. Links Risa Iwasaki Culbertson Risa Iwasaki Culbertson on Instagram Risa Iwasaki Culbertson on Tiktok

Artist, teacher, collector, and storyteller Molly Meng is a force for good. Molly is heavily influenced by a scrap of paper, a single word, ​opera, rap, theremins, the thick cotton of an old book page, random sentences, and an overheard statement. Molly exudes optimism and curiosity, and believes we are ALL related and connected to each other.  Takeaways Just ask. On social media: Follow less, engage more. Same but different. Be here now. Let go. When you want to see beauty somewhere, if you don’t already see it, you have to create it. Make it come about. Mentioned Follow Molly on Instagram Molly’s website The Traveling Postal Club Matthew Frederick French General workshops Jen Peterson’s Instagram - the pursuit of sunshine On Being with Krista Tippett podcast Chanel Miller

Priorities, patriotic quilts, procrastination, studio space evolution, and playing with the tension and finding the edge! Maura's journey began in 2011 when she followed her dream to merge gardening and quilting. Hailing from a family of quilters and tailors, Maura finds joy and meaning in connecting with her ancestors through her craft and preserving heritage techniques. A pioneer in hand-dyed fabrics and hand-stitched quilts, Maura has inspired an international movement by sharing her plant-based dyeing processes and using those colors in quilt making. Her brand, Folk Fibers, has become a sought-after choice for heirloom quilt collectors. At her home studio and garden sanctuary, Maura immerses herself in color, allowing the transformation from seed to plant, dye, and textile to inform her work.  She shares her expertise by teaching workshops locally and abroad, emphasizing a balance of technique and play. Maura and her family live on a ten-acre woodland property near the lower Colorado River in Bastrop, TX. Embracing the seasons, Maura's connection to nature and authentic living continues to inspire her creative work. Takeaways: Once you sit down to work in this slow intentional process of hand sewing there’s a heartbeat, a quiet space, a discipline of being present and reflection, allowing the waters to clear. Artist dates are where creativity blooms. Quilts touch the deepest parts of people’s lives. There are many places in life where we have a need to control, but our art practice is a place where we can let go of that control. The work speaks for itself, it’s told to me in real time. Maura Ambrose Folk Fibers Maura Ambrose on Instagram Maura Ambrose on Facebook Aurora Silk natural dyes   

Glue & adhesives, rules & parameters, loving the outcome without loving the process (this is where discipline comes in!), purposefully making things that others might not want, and knots all come up in today’s episode with Lisa Solomon. Lisa Solomon is a studio artist that moonlights as a college professor and illustrator/graphic designer. Profoundly interested in the idea of hybridization (sparked from her Hapa heritage), her mixed-media works and large installations revolve around domesticity, craft, and personal histories. She often fuses "wrong" things together--recontextualizing their original purposes and incorporating materials that question the line between ART and CRAFT. She resides in Oakland, California with her husband, a teenager, two kitties, a three legged pit-bull, a dachshund mutt and many, many spools of thread. She is the author of - A Field Guide To Color, The Color Meditation Deck, a historical book on Crayola crayons, Knot Thread Stitch, and the illustrator for 20 Ways to Draw a Chair and Draw 500 Everyday Things.  Takeaways When it comes to making art, consider using the word ‘parameters’ instead of ‘rules.’ Art is a space where you investigate things. Discipline is integral to everything. It’s not about only making work when you are inspired, it’s about the ACT of making. You can contribute to Lisa’s Japan Chroma Exhibit by sending material before May 30, 2025 to: PO BOX 99534, Emeryville, CA 94662 Lisa Solomon Lisa Solomon on Instagram Lisa Solomon on Bluesky Lisa Solomon on Pinterest Lisa Solomon on Amazon Artists Take Action This to That Walter Maciel gallery Tadao Ando architect

Michael McConnell was born in Michigan, where he used to watch squirrels from the front window. He graduated from Columbus College of Art & Design, with an emphasis in lithography and painting, and landed in the Bay Area soon after, where he still lives. Making art is how Michael makes sense of the world and his forgotten childhood, creating visual narratives that examine the space between memory and nostalgia. During his conversation with Molly Meng, Michael talks about how falling in love with Joseph Cornell’s work allowed him to excavate his own language of “symbology.” He also reveals how the ropes and strings used in his work are about lineage and connection, symbolizing a narration thread. Takeaways You can figure out how you want to make something by learning how someone else makes something. Your personal life affects your artwork. If you’re feeling like you don’t have a voice, ask yourself what you want to say with your art. Are people listening? Slow down and let go of the expectation that you should crank the work out. Be careful what you start collecting!   Color becomes an environment for things and is about pushing something and taking it further. “Sometimes you just go into the studio and just sharpen pencils.” The Woodmans documentary Michael McConnell Michael McConnell on Instagram Michael McConnell on Bluesky Joseph Cornell Courtney Cerruti Brian McDonald The Woodmans documentary

Let the loose thread be dangling!  Born and raised in New England, Sarah Haskell has a BFA in Textile Design from RISD and a Masters of Art and Healing from Wisdom University.  As a seeker, maker and creative pathfinder her medium is most often thread, investigating the mystery of encoded fabrics and the hidden language of cloth. Sarah talks about the soothing nature of weaving, the importance of community involvement, how the natural world and its objects (rocks, shells, pinecones) speak to her, and making work that you yourself need to see. Sarah uses embroidery, weaving, and natural dyes to explore personal truth and universal wisdom. I love how she describes her obsession as taking separate objects and putting them together in an organized structure that other people can respond to. She creates a structure from things that are chaotic. Takeaways: A sketchbook is a repository for your dreams, thoughts and ideas - all of it, everything! Weaving is a full body process. Thread is elemental- almost like DNA. Approach everything with an awareness of all the things we can see and those that we cannot. Make the work you need. Find a way to raise up all the boats in the harbor. Take off the backpack of self-doubt and keep forging ahead. Sarah Haskell Sarah Haskell on Instagram Sarah Haskell on Facebook Molly Meng

Melissa Guido is a multidisciplinary printmaker and illustrator whose work draws inspiration from fashion and costume design of the 1920’s. Melissa is currently living in Iceland for 9 months under a Student Fulbright Open/Study Research Grant where she is exploring Iceland’s sustainable textile practices and unique plant sources for natural dyeing.  During our conversation Melissa talks about digital art, the magic of Iceland, the collaborative nature of printmaking and some surprising revelations about rulers and paper cutters. Her obsession with pushing boundaries is evident in her printing work –screen printing, letterpress, etching, lithography, and relief printing – as well as her current creative pursuits focused on traditional textile arts, natural dyeing, embroidery, weaving, and knitting. As the co-founder of Sourwood Press, a design and printing studio established with Brittany Emerson, Melissa leads a female-run business specializing in designing, producing, and selling products such as bandanas, stationery, and tote bags. Sourwood Press also collaborates with designers and businesses to create bespoke printed goods and products.  Takeaways What is the best possible way to make a piece shine? My skills were built over having lots of mistakes. Stay curious about tactile skills. Don’t ever wish your life away. Melissa Guido Melissa Guido on Instagram Sourwood Press on Etsy Peter Hristoff on Instagram Chelsea Cardinal Larry B Wright Charles Yoder Jillian Tamaki graphic novelist Dafi Kühne on Instagram Hamilton Wood Type Museum Pressing On: The Letterpress Film New York Collage Ensemble Fulbright Student Fulbright Open/Study Research Grant

Artist, teacher, collector, and storyteller Molly Meng interviews artist and illustrator Elizabeth DeJure Wood for today’s episode. They discuss the authenticity of non-human animals, being fully present, generating ideas and limiting options. Elizabeth has a creative background in ceramics, graphic design, illustration, and fine art. She loves drawing every day and enjoys developing novel visual solutions for clients. Molly and Elizabeth met in the beautiful coastal town of Portsmouth New Hampshire where they both reside. Takeaways Animals are inherently authentic. Staring into space is important for your creative life. An extended eye to eye with an eel makes an impact. Being fully present in the moment to moment makes a really great life. Keep your instruments or tools of play in sight so you can express yourself fully whenever you need. Generating ideas often come during the ordinary moments and while moving our bodies. Limiting options in the media you use helps with discipline and getting into a more regular art practice. Elizabeth DeJure Woods Elizabeth DeJure Woods on Instagram Elizabeth DeJure Woods on YouTube Elizabeth DeJure Woods on LinkedIn Elizabeth DeJure Woods on Bluesky Elizabeth DeJure Woods on Mastodon Elizabeth DeJure Woods on Pinterest Molly Meng

SarahPedlow, founder of ThreadWritten, is an artist working with embroidery and cultural preservation through workshops, textile travel tours, and fine art. ThreadWritten supports women artisans, traditional textile practices, and the preservation of heritage through research, education, and the cultivation of a global community of makers. While participating in an artist’s residency in Budapest, Hungary in 2009, Sarah fell in love with Hungarian embroidery and clothing during a visit to the Ethnographic Museum. The experience led her to seek out women embroidering in the written style in Transylvania, Romania, and start ThreadWritten in 2012, first with artisan-made bags and pillows. Since 2014 she has focused on education, lecturing, and teaching cultural embroidery workshops. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she moved to Amsterdam, NL, in 2019, and to Rotterdam this year. Takeaways Notice what feels nourishing to you. Keep your antenna up and remain curious and creative. Each part enriches the other part. Keep the channel open – the gist of a longer quote by Martha Graham “A miracle is a shift in perception.” Marianne Williamson Sarah Pedlow Sarah Pedlow on Instagram ThreadWritten ThreadWritten on Instagram Tim Ingold A brush with…podcast Museum of Ethnography, Budapest

Krista V. Allenstein, Midwest Optimistic Artist, loves neon signs, old buildings, dollhouses and the culinary delights of Kwik Trip. She loves painting things often overlooked as beautiful. Monkeying around with words and phrases makes her especially happy. Krista often wishes she had a camera in her eyeball so she could share how she sees the world. Her paintings attempt to make that wish a reality.  During our conversation Krista talks about embracing chaos, being uncomfortable with compliments, middle-age anonymity and invisibility, and the crippling nature of looking backwards. Krista is a true Francophile who would move to Paris if she could get away with it. She embraces and reveals all the parts of her authentic self – from her contagious optimism and positivity to her control freak tendencies. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts (NYC), Krista has had the opportunity to participate in exhibitions at the Lakefront Festival of the Arts (In 2023 as the featured poster artist), Des Moines Arts Festival, Columbus Arts Festival, Oconomowoc Arts Festival, Madison Art Fair On the Square, Cincinnati Artfest, Free Range Art, Frank Juarez Gallery, Gallery 2622, MARN Gallery, 2020 Wisconsin Artist Biennial, and a 2019-2020 ARTservancy and MARN mentor/mentee appointments. Takeaways See the world not the way it is but the way you prefer it to be. Tightly controlled situations aren't that interesting. You have two choices. You could live your life being scared something terrible is going to happen again, or you could just live your life and assume it's not going to. You’re exactly how you’re supposed to be whether you like it or not. The key to successful art is when people know that you mean exactly what you put out there and you're not trying to be someone else, you’re not trying to say something you don't mean. People respond to that kind of authenticity. Krista V. Allenstein Amélie The Regal Find, Madison, Wisconsin News in Slow French Finch  

You're going to hear about fighting for the underdog, discernment, editing, celebrating differences, and relinquishing control through your tools in today's episode with Debbie Taylor-Kerman. Debbie is a Scottish artist who came to New York City to work as a textile designer in 1991. She fell in love with the city and her husband Elliott, and they moved to Harlem where they raised their two sons and still reside. Her path included the Foundation Course at St Martins School of Art in London, a Printed Textiles degree from Liverpool School of art and 4 consecutive years of Nicholas Wilton’s Creative Visionary Program. During the pandemic Debbie left her successful commercial art career of more than three decades and finally decided to paint fine art full time. We had a great conversation about her obsession which we ended up calling “equality” – but that doesn’t do it really justice –it’s about fighting for the underdog, for racism and inequality, celebrating diversity and how much we can learn from each other. Debbie strives to normalize the fact that we're all different and we all celebrate different things. She writes: “I need to find hope in this fragile and divided world by creating the beauty of diversity. I believe it's critical for everyone to feel seen and to feel that we can coexist in peace.” Takeaways The mundane things unite us. We all come from somewhere. We are all a part of the people we have in our lives.  When the desire to do it becomes bigger than the fear, take the leap! Find the most important thing and give it room to breathe. Ask yourself: “where is my heart and what do I want to explore and paint?” Debbie Taylor-Kerman Debbie Taylor-Kerman on Instagram Debbie Taylor-Kerman on Facebook Art Juice Podcast: Finding purpose in your art with Debbie Taylor-Kerman Tap Into Your Creativity with Sandra Felemovicius Jillian Suzanne Sue Zipkin Nicholas Wilton’s Creative Visionary Program Cheeky Wee Pumpkins quilting fabric Wiser Than Me, Julia Louis-Dreyfus Mark Rothko Egon Schiele Bird by Bird, Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Anne Lamott Rachel Davis Princeton Catalyst wedges and contours 

Siara Berry creates multi-medium sculptures influenced by neighborships, housing systems, and American domestic landscapes. Deeply influenced by her upbringing in the suburban Midwest, her work contends with cultural narratives about place and purpose, property and people. Using a combination of found object and traditional craft processes, Berry deploys a visual language that is equally quotidian and absurd. Listen in as we chat about neighborships, domestic landscapes, construction sites, the lawn, yard signs, and control over nature. Takeaways Artists should feel creative, comfy, and cared for. Every artist is working in their best interest in what feels right to them, and when it doesn’t feel right it’s a negotiation between the artist and the work. Acknowledge that social media is not the full picture. Neighborships are a collective effort in living a private life. Siara Berry Siara Berry on Instagram John Michael Kohler Arts Center Arts/Industry Residency Program Mary L. Nohl Fund Fellowships for Individual Artists The Curious History of Your Home podcast

Rainer is a queer creator, collector, and tinkerer raised in lederhosen with a pet buffalo on a floral farm in rural Pennsylvania by an eccentric immigrant father and a defiantly strong mother. Rainer is a designer leveraging art to explore and document encounters of the human condition. He is a sculptor and a painter who creates interactive installations and experiences that help people feel seen and heard. During our conversation we talk about documenting the human process, what helps and what hurts, machines, control and letting go, procrastination, and seeing time in yearly spirals. Takeaways Stand up for what’s right. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Sometimes when you start a project you have no idea how much of an impact you will have. Self-doubt can push you into problem-solving and exploration. Not knowing the rules can give you confidence. Don't forget to keep the other burners of your life alive. We’re so much more similar than we are different. Rainer Wolter Rainer Wolter on Instagram Rainer Wolter on LinkedIn The Accounting, by EJ Trask (Rainer’s debur in short horror story) Art Prize Khadi Papers Krista Allenstein, Authentic Obsessions Episode 2

Mixed media artist and painter Erica Jane Huntzinger was raised in the western suburbs of Chicago. Her parents hail from Maine and Pennsylvania and they drove back there each year to see family and friends all while absorbing and exploring the landscapes and ground they missed. Her immediate family was centered in questioning, learning and growing. Her mother was a psychologist, her father, a minister and Erica was the sister to an adventurous brother. Erica made her way through creative explorations from hundreds of coloring books, mud, rock and stick scapes into multi-media work through the lens of a painter. We talk about flow, the importance of play, and demystifying the creative process, including how people make creative decisions in their life and how and where people can affect dynamic change for themselves through creative actions. Takeaways You can affect dynamic change for yourself through creative actions. Be open to asking yourself: why DON’T you do some of the things you aren’t doing? Play helps get you through difficult feelings, which in turn drives your curiosity. Whatever you make, and it doesn’t matter what kind of artist you are, there's somebody out there that's going to like it. Erica Jane Huntzinger Erica Jane Huntzinger on Instagram Erica Jane Huntzinger’s podcast, In The Act Erica Jane Huntzinger on YouTube Creative Quest, Questlove Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Sara Willadsen Art as Medicine, Creating a Therapy of the Imagination, Shaun McNiff Marco Polo Lois Keller Rachel Weaver Rivera Whitney Morales On Writing: A Memoir of Craft, Steven King

Glimpses and layers of time, what will remain, walking, beauty, palimpsest, AI art, and clothespins are all on the mind of London-based photographer and writer Duncan Petrie. Duncan explores nature in the human landscape, and what the world might look like when we are gone. His images, found on long walks, are a sort of synecdoche: from a single frame, a single point of punctum, they construct a world. He seeks simple images in order to strip them of their context, and to allow the viewer to peer at the world between them. He holds a 1st class degree in Marine and Natural History Photography from Falmouth University. Takeaways Always book the tickets the day before. It’s important to make it easy to fit the creative bits into your life.  Photography is a collaboration with the world. Look! See! The future, the end of history, can be beautiful. Look at this world that we have built and notice what things might outlive us and what things are very temporary. Duncan Petrie on Instagram Duncan Petrie on YouTube Camera Lucida by Roland Barthes Beauty in Photography, Robert Adams This American Life Ursula Le Guin The Worm Ouroboros, E. R. Eddison The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle Piranesi, Susanna Clark Lud-in-the-Midst, Hope Mirrlees

Old books, tight deadlines, the button box, design, and dancing all come up during my conversation with mixed media artist Sue Johnson. Sue Johnson is a mixed media artist from the UK who loves painted papers, pattern, and repetition. Her working process is quite eclectic but often begins with a colour palette and experimental mark making and various printing and painting techniques. She often works on found surfaces and ephemera such as used envelopes and pages from discarded books destined to be shredded. These provide unique surfaces to paint and print on and the use of collage yields unexpected results. Her printed textiles background informs her composition and process but play, curiosity and intuition lead the way. Takeaways Push all the boundaries and do something different. Little and often. Notice what you notice. Sometimes the best things come out at the end during the last-minute push. To get unstuck, hold your work up to a mirror to distance yourself and see what needs to be changed. Sue Johnson Sue Johnson on Instagram Sue Johnson on Facebook Creative Visionary Program with Nicholas Wilton Bindex UK Link, Bindex US Link Rex Ray: Art and Design YouTube video  We Are All connected Art Project, Beatricia Sagar Art Juice podcast

Articulation, pivoting, sketchbooks, observation, and travel all play a key role in Ethan Keister’s creative life. Graphic designer, illustrator and art director Ethan was born in Vietnam, grew up in the backwoods of Upstate New York and now calls Milwaukee, Wisconsin his home. When Ethan isn't ruining his posture at his desk, you can find him snow skiing, water skiing, biking, hiking, traveling, and writing about himself in the third person.  Takeaways Pivot in a way that allows for more growth and a fresh perspective. Eighty percent of drawing is seeing. When sketching people, be on the lookout for good poses and gestures. “Beautiful things don’t ask for attention.” James Thurber Ethan Keister Ethan Keister on Instagram Ethan Keister on Facebook Ethan Keister on LinkedIn Ethan Keister on TikTok Mark Manson Paul Noth (episode 92) Jon Horvath (episode 89)

Idea generation, your brain on cartoons, incongruency & divergent thinking, and how to encourage your creativity are all on the mind of cartoonist, writer and artist Paul Noth. Paul is a cartoonist for The New Yorker magazine, where his work has appeared regularly since 2004. He created the Emmy-nominated animated series "Pale Force" for Late Night with Conan O’Brien. He has been an animation consultant for Saturday Night Live and developed shows for Cartoon Network Adult Swim and Nickelodeon. Paul is the author of the middle grade novels “How to Sell Your Family to the Aliens,” “How to Properly Dispose of Planet Earth,” and “How to Win the Science Fair When You’re Dead,” all published by Bloomsbury. Takeaways Embrace the limitations of your art form. Conscious effort impedes the incubation process. The preparatory phase of creative work requires hard work and skill, but it also requires letting go. The idea comes despite the effort not because of it. Paul Noth on X Paul Noth on Instagram Paul Noth on Facebook Paul Noth on LinkedIn Paul’s middle grade books Paul Noth on IMBD The New Yorker  This is Your Brain on Cartoons article by Sarah Larson Roz Chast Iain McGilchrist Photo credits, Camila Guarda, Chicago Sun Times

Rocker chick Paula Hare talks about no longer giving a rip what other people think, New York City, and Wisconsin’s most iconic dessert – the cream puff. Paula Hare is a life-long artist, designer and creative director, plein air and studio painter. She brings a unique perspective to her work which includes unusual juxtapositions, compositions, and subjects. Paula's keen eye for detail and appreciation for the unconventional allows her to breathe life into scenes that might escape the notice of others. Whether it's the play of light on chrome, the wind-swept landscapes that unfold along the journey, or elements of a back-alley way, Paula captures the essence of the moments they portray and the stories they tell.  Paula’s obsession with the biker lifestyle (Harley’s, not bicycles!) spills over into all her ventures, including Gearhead Fashion, which features sustainable, repurposed, reinvented, one-of-a-kind apparel and accessories for anyone that wants to look and feel like a rock star. Takeaways Do cool stuff, paint cool things. You gotta jam 24/7 – suck it up and get to work. You’ve got to make yourself do it. Just put one foot in front of the other and just keep moving forward and not stop. Bundle up all your skills and energy and figure out what’s in you, and then you have a direction. Stick to that path and you’ll be successful. Paula Hare Paula Hare on Facebook Paula Hare on LinkedIn The Arts Mill on Facebook, and Instagram Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Deadwood, South Dakota Original Cream Puffs Sketchnoting Gearhead Fashion Gearhead Fashion on Instagram

Diving deep into your own life to find your voice, the selfish nature of being an artist, the power of observation, and reacting to marks and layers are all considered during my conversation with Victoria McDonnell. Victoria relocated from Bogota, Columbia – at the age of 28 – to the rural countryside of Norfolk, UK. The cultural change was already overwhelming, but the language barrier added another layer of challenge. It was an act of courage, driven by love, to move to a town of just over 300 people. In response, she turned to the language without words – art – which became her constant companion that has deepened over time. Victoria offers glimpses of familiarity in her subjects, inviting viewers to engage playfully while allowing ample room for personal exploration. Working across a diverse array of subjects in oils and acrylics, she unifies them through the lens of abstraction. Victoria’s latest obsession is ‘Chairs,’ a project of exploration, observation, and discovery. Inspired by the simple objects that are central to our daily lives and our personal connections with them, she examines the narratives they embody. Whether it's the chair in the corner that sparks conversation, the kitchen chairs that keep the family united, or the old nursing chair passed through generations, each chair tells a different story. Takeaways “Not having distractions is my best friend.” The more you put yourself out there, the more comes your way. Little steps give way to little successes and they all add up. “Through her eyes we organized my mind.” Abstraction requires a lot of confidence. Every chair has a story. Victoria McDonnell Victoria McDonnell on Instagram Victoria McDonnell on Facebook Victoria McDonnell on Pinterest Victoria McDonnell on TikTok Victoria McDonnell on LinkedIn Colombian Rainbow River Gooderstone Water Gardens Vejer de la Frontera  Art and Success Pro Abstract Painting Norfolk Painting School Studio talk & master classes Roisin O’Farrell Love to Paint, Learn to Paint