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The Creative Collective

Allie Joy and Emily Sharp

The Creative Collective Podcast is an inviting space where we explore how creativity can weave its way into everyday life and help us feel more connected to ourselves and others. Hosted by licensed art therapists Allie Joy and Emily Sharp, it’s rooted in one simple belief: you don’t have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You just need a little curiosity and a willingness to begin. Each week, we share honest conversations and practical tools to support a creative life that feels sustainable, accessible, and truly yours. Welcome to your creative community.

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Avg 39 min
English

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#20
Yesterday · 42 min
What If Creativity Looked Like a Garden? with Dominique Begnaud
What if the most creative thing you did this year was grow something? Dominique Begnaud is an art therapist in St. Louis who works with art, play, and gardening — and it's the gardening that we couldn't stop thinking about. She runs art and garden groups in community nonprofits and schools, and her practice is built on a simple idea: that tending something is a creative act. In this conversation she gets specific about what making art with plants actually looks like and how this changes with the seasons. She talks about what happens when a client who struggles to stay present tries hammering flowers. And she tells us about building gardens where ever she can find space and how this changes therapy spaces and communities. This is an art therapy podcast built around creative community, and Dominique's work is a reminder that community doesn't require a beautiful space. Sometimes it just requires a pot, a few seeds, and the patience to wait six weeks for something to happen. In this episode, they discuss: How flower pounding actually works, and what a hammer does for someone who has trouble staying in the present The difference between saying gardening is your therapy and practicing gardening therapy, and why Dominique is careful about that line The surprising places gardens can grow Why she tells clients they can just try something once, with no commitment to ever doing it again The one plant she thinks everyone should try growing, which is beautiful, edible, and works for both pressing and pounding Resources & Links Dominique Begnaud — therapy website and instagram Bowood Farms, St. Louis Missouri Botanical Garden Episode about letting yourself be bad at something Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#19
September 21 · 32 min
Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Ask an Art Therapist
Here's the listener requested episode where we chat about all your Art Therapy FAQs! Emily and Allie answer the questions they get asked at parties, on airplanes, in comment sections, and occasionally by other mental health professionals who should probably know better. They cover what art therapy actually is, what it takes to become an art therapist in the US, and what those two letters after our names really mean. We cover some funny stories and the times we recommend lying about your job, as well as the times when you should shout it proudly. We laugh about the art therapy myths circulating online right now and what might have a bit of truth to it. Whether you're considering the field, already in it, or just curious what happens in that room - this art therapy podcast is for you. In this episode, they discuss: Why Allie stopped ignoring one particular comment section, and what it says about how misunderstood this profession still is inside the mental health field The actual path to becoming an art therapist in the US — the master's degree, the supervised hours, the board exam in a real testing center, and the difference between ATR and ATR-BC Whether you need to be good at art to become an art therapist, and why a trained painter sometimes has the hardest time in an art therapy session The enormous range of places this work happens Why both of them have considered lying about their jobs to strangers, and what changed their minds Resources & Links Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB) American Art Therapy Association (AATA) Life of Color - Allie's mandala design Gel Printing Summit - Emily's online workshop Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#18
September 14 · 39 min
Did Adulthood Make Us Less Creative? with Rukmini Poddar
Rukmini Poddar didn't initially set out to teach anyone about drawing their emotions. In 2015, burnt out at the end of a graphic design degree and convinced she was the least consistent person alive, she started The 100 Day Project with no plan beyond touching the page every day. Ten years later she's the author of Draw Your Feelings, she leads workshops for individuals, schools, retreats and corporate teams, and she's built a global creative community out of people who mostly don't call themselves artists. In this episode, Rukmini takes us back to the twenty-three-year-old who had nothing to lose and posted her drawings to a few hundred followers, which later turned into a really inspiring creative community. She also walks us through what she actually teaches: how to get acquainted with the texture of a feeling before you try to draw it, why abstract beats representational every time, and why she thinks the art you make alone is only half of the work. This conversation was a perfect fit for this creativity podcast. In this episode, they discuss: The 100 Day Project that changed the direction of her life — and why she credits it for who it proved she could be, not for anything she actually made Obscure Emotions, the 2016 series of small pink figures that gave her language for feelings she couldn't name, and the comments from strangers that turned a private habit into something bigger Her ten-second timeline exercise and what people end up telling a total stranger afterward What she says to the person who tells her "I can't draw," plus her case that honest art matters more than beautiful art Life-size self-portraits, a redwood forest, and the first retreat she ran before she felt anywhere near ready Resources & Links Draw Your Feelings: A Creative Journal to Help Connect with Your Emotions through Art by Rukmini Poddar (Penguin/Ebury) Rukmini on Instagram: @rockinruksi dearruksi.com The 100 Day Project (#The100DayProject)
#17
September 7 · 33 min
Can We Please Stop Monetizing Every Hobby?
You bake the cake, finish the sweater, frame the painting — and someone asks when you're going to start selling it. They mean it as a compliment, and it usually is one. But when did, "someone would pay for that" become the main way we tell people their creativity has value? On this art therapy podcast, Emily and Allie get into what that does to the making itself, and why the pressure shows up fastest on the things we love most. Allie explains why she has never sold a single piece of the jewelry she taught herself to solder, and what she says when people are taken aback by that. Emily tells a story about being asked to illustrate a children's book, and hearing herself say something about her own art she has genuinely never said before — the second money entered the conversation. They talk about how to tell the difference between wanting to build something and feeling like you should, why touring musicians are the right test case, and what it might mean that in Denmark the community center art classes sell out every week with no one expecting to get good. This is an art therapy and creativity podcast, and this episode is a reminder to our creative community that not everything you make has to become something. In this episode, they discuss: Why "you should sell that" lands as pressure even when it's meant as praise — and what to say instead The creative practice Allie protects by never selling it, and how she responds when people push What Emily heard herself say about her own artwork the moment a paid project was on the table How to tell whether you actually want to monetize something, using the touring musician test Whether the pressure to make hobbies productive is a US-specific problem — and what a culture of hobbies looks like instead A yes/no/maybe experiment on selling, resting, and keeping one practice completely private Resources & Links: Absalon - Community art center in Copenhagen (great for a visit if you're traveling!) Creative retreats - the retreat Allie mentioned in Greece Allie's metal smithing class Beacon Gem Tack - our favorite for bedazzling! Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#16
August 31 · 44 min
Is Doing Nothing the Secret to Being More Creative? with Melissa Grisi
What happens when you stop trying so hard to be creative? This week, we’re joined by therapist and ceramic artist Melissa Grisi to talk about creativity, clay, imposter syndrome, and what it actually looks like to find your way back to making when you feel stuck. Melissa shares how clay has followed her through different chapters of her life, why it took her years to fully claim the word “artist,” and how slowing down has completely changed her relationship with creativity. We also get into creative blocks, the pressure to constantly produce, why sitting in your creative space without making anything still counts, and the surprisingly tiny steps that can help you reconnect when creativity feels far away. Plus, we talk about redefining what it means to be creative, finding inspiration in your environment, building a “menu” of things that support you, and why sometimes the first step back into creativity is simply getting the pencils out. In this episode: • finding your way back to creativity after a long break • creative blocks and making the first step much smaller • imposter syndrome as an artist and therapist • why slowing down and doing less can make space for ideas • letting go of the pressure to perform or post your creativity • how our environments influence what we make • expanding our definition of what “counts” as creativity • the art and craft of therapy • and, of course, a little clay appreciation If you’ve been feeling creatively stuck, disconnected, uninspired, or like you need to make something “good” before you even begin, this one’s for you. Resources & Links: Melissa Grisi, LCSW - Blue Sky Therapy Melissa's Instagram: @the_desert_therapist Allie's cyanotype supply picks Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
August 24 · 30 min
Did We Accidentally Ruin Whimsy?
Whimsy is having a moment. Searches are up, whimsymaxxing is everywhere, brands are bedazzling their products, and what started as people sharing the tiny, weird things they do to make ordinary life more fun has somehow turned into… a shopping list. So, did we accidentally lose the point? This week, we’re talking about what whimsy actually means, why we think so many adults are craving more play, color, silliness, nostalgia, and everyday magic right now, and whether something changes when a mindset becomes an aesthetic you can buy. And because neither of us is about to pretend we don't also love ridiculous little objects that make us happy, we're asking a more complicated question: can buying something be whimsical too? We get into whimsy as permission to play, making mundane things feel magical, reconnecting with the things you loved as a kid, using creativity to practice play again, and why whimsy might even be a tiny form of rebellion against a culture that wants everything we do to be productive. Plus: emergency purse sprinkles, googly eyes on household appliances, medieval soundtracks for doing the dishes, the most whimsical fruit, and why you should probably just use the good stickers already. Because maybe whimsy isn't something you can buy, maybe it's a way of moving through the world. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#14
August 17 · 36 min
Art Is Your Superpower with Leah Guzman
Somewhere along the way, most of us picked up the idea that creativity is something you have to earn — that you need the right studio space, the right technical skills, and a long stretch of free time before you're allowed to make anything. Our conversation today our our creativity podcast takes all of that apart. Leah Guzman is a board-certified art therapist with twenty years in the field, an artist, and the author of five books on creativity and healing. She's spent twenty-two years working in school systems, and she founded the Creative Soul Society, an online community that meets weekly to make art together — and that turns six the week we recorded. We love how practical this creativity conversation is. Leah talks about how showing up is the hardest part of any creative practice, and how that's a solvable problem. She talks about the systems that get her there: art journals small enough to travel, creative time written into the calendar like an appointment, a thirty-dollar table that means she can leave a mess out and come back to it. She also talks about what she's learned watching people arrive in her community from every possible starting point, including the ones who show up certain they aren't artists. If you've been meaning to get back to something, this is a good one to have on while you do. In this episode: The six-layer birthday cake art journal Leah built for her community's anniversary, and how to make one for yourself Why showing up is the hard part, and the systems that get you past it — travel-sized art journals, creative time in the calendar, a mess you're allowed to leave out Emily on carving linoleum when every part of her brain said there wasn't time The three questions Leah asks herself every morning, answered with a scribble and a bit of watercolor in about five minutes Why the people in her community keep coming back, and what she thinks is really happening when creative people gather Allie on the reframe that gets used most: who said anything about painting? The member who spent years refusing to call herself an artist — and the day she stopped What Leah says, without hedging, to anyone who has decided they aren't creative The stretch of Leah's life when she was giving creativity away all day and keeping none of it, and how she found her way back What happens when the person teaching everyone else to make art stops making it for herself? Leah Guzman has been a board-certified art therapist for twenty year and has written five books on creativity and healing, while working in school systems. She has also had a stretch of her life where everything looked good on paper and nothing felt good underneath it — a period she describes as her dark night of the soul, when she was giving creativity away all day and making none of it for herself. Resources & Links: Creative Soul Society — Leah's website and online creative community @creative.soul.society - Leah on Instagram Omega Institute - workshops and residencies Mod Podge — decoupage your own oyster shells Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#13
August 10 · 38 min
Please Let Yourself Be Bad at Something
Being a beginner sounds fun until you are staring at a blank page, comparing yourself to a version of you from ten years ago, or thinking, “I do not have time for this.” In this episode, Allie and Emily talk about what it really feels like to begin. Sometimes that means trying something completely new, like learning mahjong. Sometimes it means returning to an old creative practice and discovering that it somehow feels familiar and brand new at the same time. They share their recent experiments with cyanotypes, the joy of learning in community, the projects they find easiest and hardest to start, and the very different ways physical setup and mental pressure can keep us from making anything at all. Emily shares why a portable art bag makes creating easier, while Allie explains why she sometimes removes scissors, brushes, and other tools that invite perfectionism. They also talk about the connection between perfectionism and procrastination, why five creative minutes still count, and why the imperfect first attempt is not a failure. It is evidence that you showed up. Also discussed: Beginner’s mind and the possibilities we lose as we become more experienced Comparing your current creativity to your past work Why adults have such a hard time being bad at things Bedazzled mahjong racks, naturally The embroidery projects waiting patiently in both of their homes Why creating privately can help quiet your inner critic Matching your creative ambition to your actual energy level Your challenge this week is simple: try one small creative thing you have never done before, or return to something you miss. Let it be imperfect. Let it be small. Let it be a beginning. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#12
August 3 · 35 min
A Table Can Be Just as Creative as a Canvas with Kiki Canuto
The fastest way to turn a room of strangers into a room full of friends isn't a good icebreaker question — it's giving them something to make, share, and taste. In this episode of The Creative Collective, our art therapy podcast and creativity podcast, we sit down with Kiki Canuto, the chef and founder behind Getaway Plate — a traveling culinary studio that thoughtfully builds creative community. She moves from city to city, working with local artists, designers, and organizers, and builds each event around whatever's local and in season. In this episode, they discuss: The tortilla-making party that reminded Kiki what she's actually building toward, and why it was never really about the tortillas How a chance conversation about cider at a Christmas market turned into a full dinner collaboration on the Danish island of Bornholm How a food-waste collaboration with a textile artist turned an avocado pit into naturally-dyed fabric Kiki's still-forming dream of a multi-disciplinary day retreat that brings movement, art, and food into the same space The cookbook that changed how Kiki thinks about following a recipe What Kiki learned about herself during a period of saying yes to everything, and why she now commits fully or not at all Resources & Links: Kiki Canuto - Getaway Plate Kiki's Instagram - @getaway_plate Emma Collins, Textile Artist hosting workshops Two Dozen Eggs by: Hugh Corcoron Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#11
July 27 · 39 min
Your Creativity Deserves Better Company
What if the creative friendships that actually last aren't built on grand gestures, but instead, on your average Wednesday afternoon standing-date? In this episode of The Creative Collective, our art therapy podcast and creativity podcast, Emily and Allie talk about creative friendships — the specific kind of connection that forms when you make things alongside someone else. They get into why shared vulnerability speeds up closeness, why a weekly standing plan might be the most useful friendship tool either of them has ever used, and what actually happens when creative jealousy shows up between friends. In this episode, they discuss: Why making something together, even something as small as doodling side by side, builds connection faster than most shared activities "Activity day" — the weekly standing plan that supports repetition mattering more than any single big event What genuine creative support actually looks like beyond liking a post, and the story that reminded us why it matters How to handle creative jealousy without turning it into shame, and the difference between being inspired by someone and imitating them Why competition and creative friendship can coexist, and what keeps that dynamic healthy This week's challenge: make one specific plan, with one specific person, instead of a vague "we should do something sometime" Resources & Links: Ohuhu Alcohol Markers Famesick: A Memoir by Lena Dunham Allie's Time Magazine feature Texture Hunting Supplies - Emily Texture Hunting Supplies - Allie Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#10
July 20 · 45 min
Flowers Die and We Still Plant Them with Cheryl Walpole Tiku
What happens when the career you were promised doesn't show up as promised — and you have to build one from scratch? In this episode of The Creative Collective, our art therapy podcast and creativity podcast, we talk with Cheryl Walpole Tiku, a licensed art therapist who started her career in product development at Ralph Lauren before training at Pratt Institute and spending nearly two decades across hospitals and private practice in New York. She's now the editor and co-author of a new book that says something most people in helping professions feel but rarely admit out loud — that following your calling can make life harder, not easier. In this episode, we discuss: What Cheryl noticed inside a fast-moving, image-driven fashion job that eventually pushed her to walk away from it The disorienting creative block she hit early in her art therapy training — and how she found her way back Why she and a grad-school friend built an entire international art therapy program in Namibia, because the one they wanted didn't exist yet Why she believes you don't have to sell — or even finish — what you make for it to count The creative groups she's started for women entrepreneurs and founders, and what she's noticed about high achievers and creative access How a vintage etiquette book became one of her go-to creative practices, and why "keep your dignity" is the only line she left visible Resources & Links: Cheryl Walpole Tiku — Instagram @the_line_between_studio, thelinebetweenconsulting.com The Business of Art Therapy (Routledge) — out now Chery's Substack: The Line Between Studio Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#9
July 13 · 37 min
So...When Did We All Stop Making Art?
What if coming back to creativity didn't have to look like a commitment — what if it could look like one small, imperfect thing you did on a Tuesday afternoon and never showed anyone? In this Creative Check-In episode of The Creative Collective Podcast, Emily and Allie get into the real reasons people drift away from creativity — and more importantly, what it actually looks like to find your way back. Whether you've been away from a creative practice for a few weeks or a few years, or you're considering starting something for the very first time, this one is for you. In this episode, we discuss: Why people stop being creative — and why that's not a character flaw The case for starting small and why "tiny" is actually the most sustainable entry point Emily's tufting class story: what happens when you try something you've never done before and genuinely have no idea what you're doing How changing your environment (a cafe, a museum, a walk around the block) can take the pressure off in a way that staring at a blank page never will The art of noticing — and how a color walk can snap your brain out of autopilot The creativity menu: a practical tool for getting started when your brain is tired and the options feel overwhelming What both hosts currently have on their own creativity menus, organized by five minutes, twenty minutes, and an afternoon Resources & Links: Mermaid Books Lino Cut Workshop in Connecticut hosted by: Rachel Tufting Class led by: Tufted Love at the amazing community space Absalon in Copenhagen Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#8
July 6 · 51 min
Creative Risks Are Less Scary Than Creative Regret with Gabrielle Siegel
What if the secret to a creative life isn't waiting until you're ready — it's deciding that ready is overrated? In this episode of The Creative Collective Podcast, Emily and Allie sit down with Gabrielle Siegel — founder of The Aura Creative design agency, writer published in Teen Vogue and beyond, fiddle player, and competitive Irish dancer who walked into her first class in her twenties with zero training and quietly decided she was going to make it to the top anyway. Gabrielle writes a Substack called Everything Hurts about what it actually takes to pursue the things that matter to you, and in this conversation she gets into the decade of creative risk-taking that shaped that philosophy — from a secret goal she told almost no one about, to why she still can't hit "post" without fighting the voice that tells her no one wants to see it. In this episode, they discuss: How tagging along to her younger sister's very first Irish dance class led to a decade-long competitive pursuit she never planned for The secret goal she set for herself and kept quiet for years — and what she learned when she didn't reach it A childhood memory involving a zip line and a ten-minute standoff with fear that became her go-to method for pushing past creative paralysis Why self-promotion feels "cringy" even when the work is something she's proud of, and the mindset shift that gets her to hit post anyway The real cost of not pursuing the thing — and why the pain of not trying is so much harder to live with than the pain of trying and falling short Why having no end goal for her fiddle playing might be exactly the point Resources & Links: The Aura Creative Gabrielle on Instagram Everything Hurts — Gabrielle's Substack Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#7
June 29 · 34 min
Move Over Girls' Trips...Creative Retreats Are Here
What if the most restorative thing you can do while traveling isn't simply relaxing, but making something — surrounded by people, in creative community, seeing the world (and yourself) a little differently than when you arrived? In this Creative Check-In episode of The Creative Collective Podcast, Emily and Allie recap their recent trip to Folegandros, Greece — a Creative Club retreat Emily co-hosts, and the first one Allie has attended. Morning swims, linoleum stamp carving, watercolor doodles made with actual ocean water, and a group printmaking poster that everyone got to take a piece of home — this episode is part travelogue, part reflection on why retreats like this are having a real moment right now. In this episode, they discuss: What it's like to experience a creative retreat for the first time as a guest instead of a host Why the loosest, least scheduled parts of the day ended up being the most restorative The group printmaking project that felt reminiscent of a high school yearbook (mermaid cats included) Why creative retreats are becoming the new version of the girls' trip — and why phone-free, analog experiences are popping up all over the place What it means to let yourself be positively creatively influenced by the people around you A challenge for anyone who can't book a flight to Greece this week, but still wants a piece of what this trip gave them Resources & Links: Jennifer Chiles - Creative Club retreat co-host SPINA - Our dream getaway spot in Folegandros, Greece Monica McNeeley - Allie's travel buddy and fellow therapist Paige Bradford - watercolor meditation and Hooray Art Studio owner Sakura Koi travel watercolor set - our favorite for art on the go! Speedball linoleum starter kit for printmaking Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#6
June 22 · 55 min
The Best Thing You Can Make Is Bad Art with Meagan Mahaffy
What if the thing standing between you and a creative life isn't talent — it's the belief that you need it? In this episode of The Creative Collective Podcast, Emily and Allie sit down with Meagan Mahaffy, founder of Art Gurl — a global creative wellness community that has reached people in over twenty countries and is built on one foundational belief: that creativity is not a skill reserved for artists. It's a practice that belongs to everyone. Meagan's path to building Art Gurl is not a straight line (and we think a lot of you creatives out there might relate). What brought her back to her aligned creative path was the pandemic, a pile of yarn, some weird polymer clay figurines — and the realization that making things with her hands was doing something for her anxiety that yoga and meditation weren't. In this episode, they discuss: How Meagan went from being told she'd never make it as an artist to building one of the most expansive creative wellness communities in the world What "making bad art" actually means — and why removing the pressure to produce something good is the thing that makes creativity accessible The difference between going to a paint and sip class and actually expressing yourself — and why that distinction matters more than it sounds What Meagan has witnessed happen between strangers in her workshops, and why in-person creative community does something that Zoom never quite can The five-minute daily doodle — what it is, why it works, and how consistency in creative practice starts to shift your sense of identity over time How Art Gurl's global community directory is trying to solve the problem of creative isolation — and why more people than you'd think could be hosting their own craft meetups Resources & Links: Art Gurl Art Gurl Community Directory Art Gurl on Instagram (@artgurl__) Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Water-Soluble Pastels — Meagan and Emily's shared desert island supply Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ Make sure to connect with Meagan on her Instagram or her website, and if you're local to NYC make sure to attend her incredible community events! You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#5
June 15 · 46 min
We All Want Creative Community...So Why Is It So Hard to Find?
Are you craving creative community — but not quite sure where to find it, how to build it, or why it feels harder to hold onto as an adult? In this Creative Check-In episode of The Creative Collective Podcast, Emily and Allie get into one of the topics closest to both of their hearts: creative community. What it actually looks like, why so many people are craving it right now, and what gets in the way of (finding or building) the kind of community that actually fits. They draw on their own experiences hosting creative events, art groups, and community spaces to talk about what happens when people create together, and why it goes so much deeper than just making something in the same room. In this episode, they discuss: Why loneliness is part of what's underneath why people show up to creative events, and what one study says about feelings of lonliness The difference between creative communities built around learning a skill and ones built around connection — and why that distinction changes everything What it means to not just receive from your community, but to give back to it — and why most people skip that part How to figure out what you actually want from creative community (not what you think you should want) What to do when you've drifted from your creative community — and why reaching back out is almost always simpler than your brain tells you it will be Why you don't need credentials, training, or a polished event to start something — and what it looks like to begin small Resources & Links: American Psychological Association (APA) — Stress in America 2025 survey Metalsmith jewelry workshop in Connecticut Alma for Therapists Jane for Therapists Gluten Tag - gluten free treats in Copenhagen Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
S4 · E4
June 8 · 36 min
The Creative Career That Started by Accident with Emily Sharp
What if the path to your creative life was never supposed to be a straight line? In this episode of The Creative Collective Podcast, Allie interviews co-host Emily Sharp — licensed art therapist, author, retreat host, and someone who has built an entire life and career around making things in unexpected places. You've already heard Emily on the show. This episode is where you find out how she got here. Her path to art therapy was anything but direct — and that's exactly what makes it worth hearing. From an unexpected creative pivot in high school to a gap year that changed everything, Emily traces the long, winding road that led her to the work she was always meant to do. In this episode, they discuss: The high school accident that turned Emily into an artist — and why she's never looked back What it looked like to design her own education around the materials she loved most The gap year conversation that changed her career trajectory entirely How burnout led to a reset, and what it actually took to start over What portable creative practice looks like in daily life — and why making art while traveling is less about documentation and more about attention Resources & Links: The Guided Art Therapy Card Deck Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Gelli Arts gel printing plate Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefi
#3
June 1 · 33 min
The Art Supplies We Never Leave Home Without
What if the only thing standing between you and a more creative life was a bag you haven't packed yet? In this first Creative Check-In episode of The Creative Collective Podcast, Emily and Allie open up their creative bags and share what's inside. They talk through what they each carry, reasons behind those specific supplies, and what it actually means to keep creativity accessible. Not as a productivity strategy, but as a daily permission slip to make things without a plan, a point, or an audience. This one is for anyone who's ever said I don't have time or I don't have the right materials — because the bag is the answer to both of those excuses. In this episode, they discuss: Why having a packed bag removes the biggest barrier to starting — decision fatigue The three-color rule for anyone who gets overwhelmed by too many choices How pulling out art supplies in public has a way of inviting unexpected connection The case for committing to pen over pencil — and why it's actually a confidence practice What our favorite materials have in common (you can probably guess!) Resources & Links: Craft Club Half Stitch Kit (for versatile craft projects) Beacon Adhesives (glues for mixed media) DIY Ink Pads from Ranger (customizable ink pads) Sakura Micron Pens (bright, versatile markers) Caran d'Ache Classic Neocolor II (playful, layered water-soluble pastels) Crayola Crayons (inner child-friendly, accessible art supplies) Silk Gel Crayons (playful and the best kind of messy) Sakura brush pens (bold color markers) Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#2
May 25 · 44 min
How I Accidentally Made Creativity My Entire Personality with Allie Joy
What happens when creativity isn't just something you do — but something that shaped who you became? In this episode of The Creative Collective Podcast, co-host Emily turns the mic towards co-host Allie Joy to hear the creative story behind the person. Allie is a licensed art therapist, content creator, and community builder — and while you've already heard her voice on the show, this episode is the first time you're hearing her story. Allie traces her relationship with creativity from an art-filled childhood shaped by her grandmother and her circle of artist friends, through a shift in college where making things became tied to skill and evaluation, and into the intentional creative practice she's built as an adult — one rooted in accessibility, play, and community over performance. In this episode, they discuss: Growing up in an environment where creativity was ambient and always within reach — and how that shaped Allie's belief that anything can be made The moment in college when making things stopped feeling like play — and the longer journey back to creating without pressure How Allie's approach to her physical creative space reflects her philosophy: keep supplies visible, keep the barrier low, keep it accessible What building creative community actually looks like in practice — and why showing up to create alongside others changes the experience Building her creative community at Mermaid Books in Milford, CT The creative project that's been 99% finished in her garage for years (no spoilers) This conversation is an invitation to approach creativity with less pressure and more openness—and to remember that you don’t have to be an artist to begin. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.
#1
May 18 · 25 min
Welcome to The Creative Collective!
What if creativity didn’t have to be productive, polished, or even shared to matter? In this opening episode of The Creative Collective Podcast, hosts and licensed art therapists Emily and Allie invite you into a softer, more expansive way of thinking about creativity. This podcast is rooted in the belief that creativity belongs to everyone — and that it becomes even more meaningful when experienced in community. Together, they share why they started the show and the gap they hope to fill: moving beyond performance and perfection, and instead centering the power of creating alongside others. Through personal stories and reflections, they explore the common belief of “I’m not creative,” how that idea forms, and how we can begin to shift it. They also talk about: Why process matters more than product How creativity can exist in everyday moments The quiet magic of community art spaces, where connection and creativity naturally unfold You’ll hear stories from Connecticut to Copenhagen as this episode captures what it feels like when people come together to make something — and in doing so, find connection, presence, and a sense of belonging. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connected You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs If you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life. And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.

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