The Creative Couch with Sam Marshall

Sam Marshall

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

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Yesterday · 1 hr 2 min
Episode 30: An Honest Q&A About Art, Life, Choosing to Be Child-Free & Single, and the Story Behind My Positivity
In this week’s episode of The Creative Couch, I’m doing something a little different. While I waited for some new creative dilemmas to come in, I asked you to send me your questions instead, and you certainly did. Questions came in through Instagram DMs and the Creative Couch email, and there were far more than I could possibly answer in one episode, so apologies if I didn’t get to yours. I’ll definitely do another Q&A in the future. This is probably one of the most open and personal episodes I’ve recorded. I talk about my early life, the jobs I had before becoming an artist, studying at the Slade and the Royal Drawing School, and my years working in the advertising industry. I also answer some much more personal questions, including my relationship with food and being overweight as a child, my decision not to have children, why I’m happy being single, and some of the experiences that have shaped the person I am now. Quite a few of you asked about my positivity and how I manage to stay so joyful and optimistic. I talk honestly about where that comes from too, because my life certainly hasn’t always felt positive or easy, and that outlook has been something I’ve developed over time. There are questions about art, life, work, confidence, relationships, choices, ageing and all sorts of things in between. It’s a very candid, slightly sprawling Q&A, and probably a chance to get to know me a little better beyond the usual creative dilemmas. And thank you, because the dilemmas have started arriving again! Normal Creative Couch service will resume next week. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to answer on the podcast, please send it to thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com.
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September 8 · 43 min
Episode 29: Imposter Syndrome, Pushing Your Work Further & Selling Your Art
⭐ I’m desperate for more dilemmas! ⭐ I’ve now reached the end of the dilemmas currently sitting in my inbox, so if there is something you are struggling with in your creative life, however big, small, specific or strange it might seem, please send it in to: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com While I wait for some new dilemmas to arrive, next week’s episode will be a Q&A. So if there is anything you would like to ask me about my own creative practice, running an art business, teaching, printmaking, sketching, travel, creativity, or anything else you are curious about, please send your questions to the same email address. In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Donna, Anna and Jill, exploring imposter syndrome, how to push a body of work further and the pressure to monetise creativity. Donna is 52 and has spent much of her adult life raising four children, fitting her art around school runs, holidays and family life. Over the last couple of years she has been building her practice back up and has already run workshops, exhibited her work and tutored people one-to-one. Despite all of that, she constantly feels as though she is behind and worries that she is an imposter who will eventually be caught out. We explore the imaginary timelines we create for ourselves, the difference between being behind and simply having taken a different route, and what Donna might actually be waiting for before she allows herself to feel like a legitimate artist. Anna returned to a creative practice after retirement, having originally trained in textiles, and has since become increasingly interested in printmaking. Over the past year she has been developing a body of work called Fragments, based on decaying wreaths, and has now completed eight pieces ready for exhibition. But unlike previous projects, she does not feel ready to move on. She senses that the subject still has more to give and wants to know how to push the work further without simply repeating herself. We explore how to identify what is really underneath a subject, why staying with an idea for longer can lead to richer work, and how changing scale, process, materials and constraints can open up new directions. Jill has recently returned to painting after many years of raising children and working and is loving the experience of making art purely as a hobby. But whenever people see her work, they immediately tell her she should sell it or turn it into a business. She wonders why visual art attracts this reaction when nobody would necessarily ask someone learning a language, playing guitar or taking dance classes how they planned to monetise it. We discuss why people often use money as a shorthand for artistic value, how selling can introduce a very different set of pressures into a creative practice, and why you are allowed to be very good at something without needing to turn it into a business. Also in this episode, I share this week’s Loving Lately recommendation: Marks & Spencer croissants, which were absolutely delicious and have been a very simple but very welcome highlight of my week. In this episode, we explore: • Why feeling behind is often tied to an imaginary creative timeline • What imposter syndrome might actually be asking us to prove • Why external validation does not always make us feel more legitimate • How to identify the deeper subject underneath a body of work • Why staying with a theme for longer can lead to richer and more surprising work • How scale, process, materials and restrictions can help push work further • Why visual art so often attracts pressure to be monetised • The difference between enjoying making art and wanting to run an art business • Why selling your work can change the way you think about what you make • Why creative work does not need to earn money in order to have value Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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September 1 · 42 min
Episode 28: Finding Coherence, Making Art Responsibly & Fear of Criticism
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Amandine, Jen and Michelle, exploring artistic identity, environmental responsibility, creative guilt and the lasting impact of criticism. Amandine lives in France with her husband and four-year-old daughter and works full-time, so her creative practice has to fit into the small pockets of time she can find. She sketches in the evenings, draws alongside her daughter and keeps a bag of materials ready in the living room, but she worries that her practice feels fragmented and lacks a coherent artistic identity. Longer term, she would love to share her work with a community and perhaps sell some prints. We explore why style is not something you need to manufacture in advance, how coherence often emerges through repeated interests and ways of working, and why stepping away from the pressure to sell can create space for a more authentic body of work to develop. Jen is increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of making art, particularly while living somewhere where the effects of climate change feel very immediate. She tries to use what she already has, avoid unnecessary waste and steer away from toxic materials where possible, but still feels uneasy about the resources involved in making art. We discuss the difference between environmental awareness and environmental guilt, why trying to make art with no impact at all is probably an impossible standard, and how small, thoughtful choices can make a meaningful difference. I also reflect on how becoming clearer about my own artistic practice has made me much more selective about the materials I buy and use. Michelle returned to oil painting after many years away from art and built up a serious practice alongside a full-time job and family life. She rented a studio, entered competitions, sold work and completed a series of fifteen paintings she was incredibly proud of. Then a relative made a passing comment suggesting that all those paintings were a waste of materials. The remark affected Michelle far more deeply than she expected and led her to stop sharing her work, give up her studio, change mediums, work under a pseudonym and even try to give up art altogether. We explore why one seemingly small comment can become so powerful when it connects with an existing belief about ourselves, the difference between being an artist and earning your living from art, and why creative work does not have to justify its existence through sales or usefulness. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: the novelist Mary Lawson, and in particular her novel Crow Lake. Her writing is quiet, thoughtful and beautifully observed, with a wonderful sense of place and complicated family relationships. I’ve only recently discovered her work and absolutely loved this one. In this episode, we explore: • Why artistic identity often emerges through making rather than being decided in advance • How temporary constraints can help bring coherence to a fragmented creative practice • Why selling your work too early can sometimes distort what you actually want to make • The difference between environmental awareness and creative guilt • How small, realistic changes can make an art practice more sustainable • Why knowing which materials you genuinely use can reduce unnecessary consumption • How one passing comment can trigger much deeper beliefs about creative worth • Why being an artist is not the same as making your living from art • What happens when we try to make our work impossible for other people to criticise • Why creative work does not always need to justify its existence Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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August 18 · 49 min
Episode 27: Retiring as an Artist, Marketing Your Work & Finding Time to Create
A little podcast note: there won’t be an episode of The Creative Couch next week as I’m away for ten days and taking a short break. I’ll be back the following week with another three creative dilemmas. In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas exploring what it means to retire as an artist, how to market your work when you really don’t enjoy marketing, and what happens when a demanding working life leaves very little energy for your own creative practice. The first dilemma asks a question we perhaps don’t talk about enough: can you retire from being an artist? When making art has been such a significant part of your identity, what happens if you no longer feel the same drive to keep producing, exhibiting or pursuing opportunities? We explore the difference between retiring from the professional machinery around being an artist and actually stopping being creative, why our relationship with our work is allowed to change as we get older, and whether stepping away might sometimes be an evolution rather than an ending. Sophie wants to get her artwork out into the world, but there’s one fairly significant problem: she really doesn’t want to spend her time marketing herself. Like so many artists, she would much rather be making the work than continually thinking about Instagram, promotion and selling. We explore whether being a working artist really does mean becoming a full-time marketer, how to find forms of promotion that feel sustainable and natural, and why marketing doesn’t necessarily have to mean constantly shouting about yourself online. Anne-Maree works full-time as a teacher and desperately wants to make more of her own artwork, but by the time she has finished giving her energy to her job, she often feels she has very little left for herself. She is questioning whether she is genuinely too tired to make work or whether, somewhere along the way, she has started getting in her own way. We look at the reality of creative exhaustion, the danger of waiting for the perfect conditions to make art, and how small, protected pockets of creative time can help rebuild a practice without turning it into yet another obligation. Also in this episode, I share this week’s Loving Lately: The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett, which I listened to on Audible and absolutely loved. It’s funny, heartfelt and quite dark, full of wonderfully flawed and complicated people, and I found it completely absorbing. In this episode, we explore: • What it might actually mean to retire as an artist • Why our creative identity is allowed to change over time • The difference between stepping away from an art career and giving up creativity • How to market your artwork when you really dislike marketing • Why promotion doesn’t have to mean constantly posting on social media • Finding ways of sharing your work that actually suit your personality • The difficulty of maintaining a creative practice alongside full-time teaching • The difference between genuine exhaustion and creative avoidance • Why waiting until you have more time or energy can keep a practice permanently on hold • How very small amounts of regular studio time can begin to rebuild momentum • Why our creative lives need to be able to change alongside the rest of our lives Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas you can apply to your own creative practice. A little podcast note: there won’t be an episode of The Creative Couch next week as I’m away for ten days and taking a short break. I’ll be back the following week with another three creative dilemmas. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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August 11 · 44 min
Episode 26: Rejection, Finding Your Style & Protecting Studio Time
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Kate, Anabelle and Ruth, exploring rejection, artistic identity, finding your style, rebuilding confidence and learning to protect your creative time. Kate has spent the last six months trying to turn her lino printing into something more professional. She has created an Etsy shop and website, approached stockists and applied to craft and print fairs, but so far has had very little response. At the same time, she has accepted a well-paid corporate job, despite knowing that what she really wants is to become a full-time artist. The lack of sales and opportunities has begun to feel like evidence that perhaps nobody wants her work, while visiting galleries and exhibitions leaves her longing to be part of an art world that can feel frustratingly exclusive. We explore the difference between rejection and information, why six months is such a short period in the life of an artistic practice, and why sometimes the next step after making work is not selling it, but simply making more work. Anabelle studied art when she was younger but walked away from it twenty years ago after a difficult experience at university left her questioning her creativity. More recently, she has begun drawing again and challenging the story she has told herself for years that she is simply not a creative person. But after one drawing failed to live up to her expectations, she stopped working in her sketchbook altogether and is now questioning what she should draw, whether she should pursue realism or something looser, and how she is supposed to develop her own artistic style. We discuss why style is something that emerges through practice rather than something we choose in advance, how one disappointing drawing can reactivate very old beliefs, and why having a structure to follow can help us stop overthinking and simply keep turning up. Ruth has spent years teaching and supporting other people creatively and is now consciously trying to create more space for her own artistic practice. She wants to protect regular studio time, but struggles with how to describe that time to family and to herself. Calling it “work” feels uncomfortable when she is not currently exhibiting or selling, yet calling it anything softer seems to make it feel negotiable. We explore imposter syndrome, why unpaid studio practice is still work, the importance of treating creative time with the same seriousness as any other professional commitment, and how the boundaries we create around our practice teach other people how to respect it too. Also in this episode, I share this week’s Loving Lately: Finland Airport. After travelling through Helsinki recently, I was struck by how calm, considered and genuinely enjoyable the whole experience felt. It was one of those places that made travelling feel surprisingly easy, and I absolutely loved it. In this episode, we explore: • What rejection can and cannot tell us about our artwork • Why six months is a very short time to judge a creative career • The difference between being an artist and earning your entire income from art • Why the art world can feel exclusive when you're standing on the outside looking in • How old creative criticism can continue to shape the stories we tell ourselves • Why one unsuccessful drawing is not evidence that you should stop • How artistic style develops through practice rather than being chosen in advance • Why structure can help when you feel directionless in your creative practice • Why studio time is still work, even when nobody is paying you for it • How protecting your creative time helps other people learn to respect it • Why consistency often matters more than waiting for inspiration Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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August 4 · 1 hr 4 min
Episode 25: Creative Chat with Sarah Jane Moon | Portraiture, Teaching & Creativity
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I sit down with the wonderful artist and portrait painter Sarah Jane Moon for a relaxed and thoughtful conversation about creativity, portraiture and building a life as an artist. Originally from Wellington, New Zealand, Sarah Jane shares the story of how she moved to the UK, found her way into painting without a traditional Fine Art degree, and gradually established herself as one of today's leading contemporary portrait painters. Along the way, we talk about the realities of balancing a professional painting practice with teaching, the importance of finding your creative community, and how a creative career is often built through curiosity, persistence and a willingness to keep learning. We also discuss what portraiture can reveal about the people we paint, how teaching can both support and challenge your own creative practice, and why there is no single route into becoming a successful artist. In this episode, we explore: • Sarah Jane's journey from New Zealand to London • Finding your way into painting without a Fine Art degree • Building a creative career one step at a time • Balancing teaching with your own artistic practice • The importance of creative community and surrounding yourself with other artists • Portraiture, observation and painting people with honesty and sensitivity • How an artist's practice naturally evolves over time • The realities of making a sustainable living as a professional artist Whether you're just beginning your creative journey or have been making work for years, this conversation is full of thoughtful reflections on creativity, artistic growth and what it really means to build a life around making art. You can find Sarah Jane on Instagram at: @sarah_jane_moon You can also find her work at: www.sarahjanemoon.com If you'd like to submit a creative dilemma for a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at: @sammarshallart
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July 28 · 48 min
Episode 24: Success, Grief & Creative Overwhelm
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Kate, Susan and Coralie, exploring creative success, grief, burnout, overwhelm and how to protect the joy of making when life and work begin placing too many demands upon it. Kate returned to painting during lockdown after a twenty-year break from creativity. What began as a joyful, private practice gradually became a successful full-time career, with books, products, licensing opportunities and a large online audience. From the outside, she appears to be living the dream, but success has started to feel more like pressure than pleasure. We explore what happens when the artist and the brand become almost indistinguishable, why every launch can begin to feel like a verdict on your entire career, and how to create space for experimentation when creativity has become responsible for your income, identity and public success. Susan has spent approximately seven years caring for her parents while holding onto plans to develop her art practice and create a small business. Following the sudden death of her mother in May, she now has more time but feels lost, guilty and unable to enter her studio. At 64, she is telling herself there is no time to waste, but the urgency is leaving her frozen. We discuss why caring responsibilities were never an excuse, how grief can make new freedom feel more like absence, and why returning to creativity may need to happen gently, through the back door rather than the front. Coralie works digitally in animation, is developing a personal game project with her husband and is also caring for a very young baby. After revisiting The Artist’s Way, she has rediscovered her love of charcoal, coloured pencil, graphite, plein-air painting and paper miniatures. The excitement feels wonderful, but it quickly becomes overwhelming as she tries to turn every interest into a project or connect it to her professional work. We explore the difference between enthusiasm and capacity, why renewed creative energy after burnout needs to be protected, and how traditional materials might become a small place for play rather than another demanding part of her working life. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: Languages of Loss by Sasha Bates. The book follows Bates as she navigates the sudden death of her husband, drawing on both her personal experience of grief and her work as a psychotherapist. I’ve been reading it partly to educate myself about grief, but it has also been helping me process the recent death of my friend Frances and think about how I can best support her wife Carly, who is one of my closest friends. In this episode, we explore: • Why success can begin to feel like pressure rather than pleasure • What happens when the artist and the creative brand become difficult to separate • Why every launch does not need to become a verdict on your entire career • How people pleasing can shape the work we make and the opportunities we accept • Why caring for somebody is never simply an excuse for not progressing • How grief can make newly available time feel like absence rather than freedom • Why telling yourself there is no time to waste can leave you unable to begin • How to return to the studio gently after loss • The difference between creative excitement and genuine capacity • Why every new interest does not need to become a project • How to protect renewed creative energy after burnout • Why creativity sometimes needs to remain private, playful and deliberately unproductive Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore in a future episode, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you’re feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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July 21 · 36 min
Episode 23: Solo Exhibitions, Returning to Art & Creative Uncertainty
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Craig, Anouk and Linda, exploring artistic permission, returning to creativity after a long absence and building a creative life alongside chronic illness. Craig is a collage artist from Philadelphia who has completed an ambitious series of fifty bird collages. Although collectors are eager to buy the work, he's holding back because he dreams of exhibiting the entire collection in a solo exhibition. After approaching galleries without success, he's wondering whether organising his own exhibition would somehow make it less legitimate. We explore who gets to decide when an artist is ready, the difference between external validation and creative agency, and why sometimes the opportunities we wait for are the ones we're capable of creating ourselves. Anouk studied Fine Art after discovering a love of printmaking during her foundation course. But after feeling pressure at university to move away from work that seemed too illustrative, she gradually lost confidence and drifted away from making art altogether. Twenty years later she's rediscovering drawing and feels torn between returning to drypoint or embracing linocut. We discuss learning to trust your creative instincts again, why creativity rarely disappears completely, and whether becoming an artist is less about finding the perfect medium and more about consistently returning to the work. Linda has been living with chronic illness for more than a decade. Art has become a source of purpose, friendship and identity after having to step away from her previous career, but an uncertain benefits reassessment means she's unsure how to move her creative practice forwards without risking the financial support she relies upon. We explore what it means to build a creative life during seasons of uncertainty, how to balance security with ambition, and why laying creative foundations is never the same as standing still. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: Clearabee. With all the building work and studio renovations happening here recently, they've made clearing bulky waste remarkably easy. I also really appreciate their commitment to recycling and diverting as much waste as possible from landfill. In this episode, we explore: • Why waiting for permission can hold us back creatively • Whether organising your own exhibition makes it any less legitimate • The difference between external validation and creative agency • How to rebuild confidence after stepping away from art for many years • Why creativity often finds different outlets, even when we're not making art • Whether you really need to choose one artistic medium over another • How chronic illness can reshape identity and creative purpose • Why it's impossible to plan for every uncertain future • The importance of laying creative foundations, even when life feels on hold • Why becoming an artist is something we do through making, not something we're eventually allowed to call ourselves Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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July 14 · 43 min
Episode 22: Talking About Your Art, Saying No & Finding Your Style
Editor's note: During Della's dilemma I accidentally referred to her as "Bella" several times. My sincere apologies, Della. It was a genuine slip during recording, and I'm very grateful to you for sending in such a thoughtful question. In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Penny, Helen and Della, exploring talking about your artwork, setting creative boundaries and finding your artistic style. Penny is preparing for her very first open studio after years of creating mixed media work. She's not worried about whether her artwork is good enough or how to price it. Instead, she's anxious about something many artists quietly dread: talking about it. We explore the difference between talking about your work and explaining it, why viewers don't always need definitive answers, and how conversations about art can become much richer when we invite other people to bring their own experiences to the work. Helen is a professional artist whose realistic drawings have helped her build a successful creative career. Alongside creating and selling her work, she also teaches, but she's realised she's developed a habit of saying yes to almost every opportunity that comes her way. We discuss why the habits that help us build a creative career don't always help us sustain one, how to become more intentional about saying yes, and why protecting time for your own creative practice is every bit as important as creating new opportunities. Della is a self-taught linocut artist who has spent the last six or seven years developing her printmaking practice. Recently she's found herself worrying about whether she has a recognisable artistic style, while at the same time becoming increasingly frustrated that her more ambitious prints don't always match the images she has in her imagination. We explore why style is often something that finds us rather than something we consciously create, the gap between our eye and our ability, and why spending more time drawing may be one of the best ways to become a stronger printmaker. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: the Paul Noble language courses. As I continue learning Japanese, I reflect on why his calm, encouraging approach has made language learning feel so enjoyable and why his courses might be worth exploring if you've ever wanted to learn a language yourself. In this episode, we explore: • Why talking about your artwork doesn't mean explaining it • How to have more natural conversations with people viewing your work • Why artists don't need to have all the answers • The difference between building a creative career and sustaining one • Why saying yes to every opportunity can eventually hold you back • How to make more intentional decisions about your time and energy • Why artistic style is something you discover rather than design • The gap between your artistic eye and your current ability • How observational drawing can quietly make you a stronger printmaker • Why growing as an artist often means becoming more discerning, not more certain Each dilemma is explored through both its emotional and practical layers, with ideas and exercises you can apply to your own creative practice. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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July 7 · 47 min
Episode 21: Exhibiting, Printing & Opting Out
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to four thoughtful creative dilemmas from Jen, Laura, Sheena and Nikky, exploring art appreciation, printmaking, selling artwork, creative identity and the complicated relationship between creativity and success. Jen is preparing for an exhibition in her own studio later this year and has been reflecting on the difference between how artists are taught to critique and discuss artwork and how the wider public often experiences it. Beyond "I like it" or "It's not really my thing", many visitors seem unsure how to respond at all. We explore whether artists can create opportunities for richer conversations around their work, why so many people feel intimidated by art, and whether perhaps nobody ever really taught us how to look. Laura is a printmaker and collage artist who is considering opening an Etsy shop or online store and is wondering whether to invest in printing her own reproductions or work with a professional printer instead. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches, the questions worth asking when choosing a printer, and why you don't necessarily need to build tomorrow's business before you've made today's sales. Sheena joined one of my drypoint workshops last year and has since been happily printing editions from traditional lino. Her dilemma is one that many printmakers quietly wonder about: how do you know when it's time to stop, clean the block and start again? We talk about trusting what the print itself is telling you, the myth of the secret printmaking rulebook, and why experience often matters more than formulas. Nikky spent several years building a successful creative practice alongside a demanding full-time career, taking commissions, selling work and exhibiting regularly. But somewhere along the way, the joy disappeared and the thing that had once been a refuge became another source of pressure and expectation. After stepping away from selling her work, she found herself rediscovering the pleasure of making art simply for herself. We explore the pressure to monetise our creativity, the assumption that every artist should aspire to work full time, and whether success might sometimes mean protecting our relationship with creativity rather than growing it. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: the Paul Noble language courses. As I prepare for a week of intensive Japanese study in London, I reflect on the role his gentle and encouraging approach has played in my own language learning journey and why they might be worth exploring if you've ever wanted to learn a language yourself. In this episode, I explore: • Why so many people feel intimidated by art and unsure how to respond to it • How artists can encourage richer conversations around their work • The difference between judging art and experiencing it • The advantages and disadvantages of printing your own reproductions • The questions worth asking before choosing a professional printer • Why you don't need to build tomorrow's business before you've made today's sales • The myth of the secret printmaking rulebook • How to know when your lino block is telling you it needs attention • The pressure to monetise creativity and turn passions into businesses • Whether becoming a full-time artist should always be the end goal • Why protecting your relationship with creativity may sometimes matter more than growing it • What it really means to call yourself an artist Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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June 30 · 42 min
Episode 20: Creativity After Crisis, New Studio & Interrupted Practice
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Grace, Mary Lou and Kelly, exploring creativity after crisis, returning to the studio after major life changes, chronic illness, momentum, artistic identity and the spaces we create around our work. Grace wrote in after her seven-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes earlier this year. After months of hospital appointments, sleepless nights and constant vigilance, she has found herself returning to the studio feeling like a different person. A large woodcut she began before the diagnosis no longer feels as though it belongs to her, and she finds herself questioning her instincts and worrying more about what other people think of her work. We explore what happens when the mindset of monitoring and control follows us into the studio, the difference between play and curiosity, and whether creativity sometimes needs shelter before it needs an audience. Mary Lou is preparing to move back to Canada after several years living and making work in Belgium. Alongside shipping containers, boxes and studio equipment, she'll also be reunited with years of older work and materials waiting in storage. She's wondering how to approach setting up a new studio and creative routine without becoming overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff surrounding her. We discuss how old work can act as research rather than clutter, why some work quietly finishes its role in our lives, and how to create a studio that supports the artist you've become rather than the artist you used to be. Kelly lives with a chronic pain condition affecting her hand, meaning periods of painting and making are often interrupted by flare-ups and surgery. She finds herself repeatedly losing momentum and struggling to find her way back into projects after time away from the studio. We talk about the difference between a creative practice built around consistency and one built to survive interruption, the idea of grieving momentum, and how to leave a breadcrumb trail back into your work for future versions of yourself. Also in this episode, I share a recent Loving Lately recommendation: The Daffodil Years by Helen Bain, a beautifully written fictional account of Sylvia Plath's later life in rural Devon that explores the woman behind the mythology and offers a quieter, more human portrait of one of literature's most iconic figures. In this episode, I explore: • What happens when a period of crisis or vigilance follows us into the studio • The difference between play, curiosity and creative freedom • Why creativity sometimes needs shelter before it needs an audience • How to honour older work whilst making space for who you're becoming • How moving countries or studios can become an opportunity for reflection and reinvention • Why old work can be a form of research rather than simply storage • How to create a studio that supports the artist you are now • The difference between a creative practice built around consistency and one built to survive interruption • Why some artists may be grieving momentum rather than losing motivation • Practical ways to return to projects after unexpected breaks and interruptions Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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June 23 · 43 min
Episode 19 : Burnout, Selling Art & Finding Your Direction
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Claudia, Sophie and Caroline, exploring burnout, artistic identity, selling artwork, creative validation and the challenge of moving beyond your comfort zone. Claudia is recovering from severe burnout after a lifetime of pursuing challenge, achievement and new experiences. Recently diagnosed with autism and ADHD, she finally has the time, space and resources to dedicate herself to art. Yet instead of feeling liberated, she feels paralysed. Torn between botanical illustration, oil painting, printmaking and mokuhanga, she worries that choosing one path means abandoning all the others. We explore the difference between curiosity and achievement, why art doesn't have a finish line, and whether her real challenge might not be choosing a medium but learning how to stay with something after the novelty has worn off. Sophie is a mixed-media artist and teacher from New York who dreams of making larger, more ambitious textile and mixed-media work. She has built a website and online shop but struggles to generate sales, dislikes markets and has consciously chosen not to use social media. As a result, she finds herself questioning whether she can justify investing more time, space and energy into her creative practice. We talk about the difference between an art practice and an art business, why sales aren't the same thing as validation, and how artists can build visibility without relying on social media. Caroline has been steadily drawing flowers for several months and feels ready to move beyond simple studies. She'd love to create richer, more complex compositions, but every time she tries she feels overwhelmed and doesn't know where to begin. We discuss how to create a simple still-life setup that can act as a stage for her drawings, allowing confidence and complexity to grow naturally over time. Also in this episode, I answer a quick listener question from Katharina about painting churches, landmarks and tourist attractions, and whether artists are allowed to sell postcards and artwork based on those locations. In this episode, I explore: • The difference between achievement and curiosity in a creative practice • Why some artists struggle when there is no clear finish line or measure of success • How burnout can affect the way we approach creativity • The relationship between novelty, mastery and artistic growth • Why sales should not be the sole source of creative validation • The difference between an art practice and an art business • Alternative ways to build visibility without relying on social media • How to move from simple studies to more complex compositions • The value of creating a familiar framework for your drawings • Why artists often worry about invisible rules that don't really exist Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com If you're feeling stuck in your own creative practice and would like support, you can find out more about my creative coaching, workshops and artwork at: www.sammarshallart.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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June 16 · 42 min
Episode 18: Digital Art, Creative Time & Leaving Teaching
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Mimi, Louise and Cally – exploring digital art, creative time, financial security and the realities of building a creative life. Mimi is a retired nurse, educator and psychotherapist from the Pacific Northwest who returned to her first love of making art later in life. She creates digital artwork using Procreate and produces giclée prints, but has repeatedly been told by local exhibitions that they "don't do digital work". We talk about misconceptions around digital art in the age of AI, why some art spaces may still be catching up with newer mediums, and how artists can find their audience even when traditional institutions don't yet understand their work. Louise is a hand embroidery artist from South Africa who left teaching to pursue her creative practice full time. While she feels incredibly grateful to be making a living through commissions, she finds herself with little time left for her own ideas, series and creative exploration. We discuss the tension between earning from creativity and protecting it, why your own work deserves a place in the diary alongside paid work, and the importance of creating boundaries around creative time. Cally is a printmaker and secondary school teacher who has spent more than twenty-five years balancing teaching with her artistic practice. Now in her fifties and feeling burnt out, she wonders whether she should take a sabbatical, retire early or continue teaching for a little longer. We talk about grief for the creative life we imagined we'd have, financial fears rooted in childhood experiences, and why building a runway towards change can sometimes be kinder and wiser than taking a leap into the unknown. In this episode, I explore: • Why rejection isn't always about quality, but sometimes about category and understanding • How artists working in newer mediums can help audiences connect with their process • The challenge of protecting personal creativity when paid work fills every available hour • Why creating boundaries around creative time can be just as important as earning from it • The grief many creatives feel for the artistic life they imagined they might have had • How financial fears rooted in childhood experiences can shape creative decisions decades later • Why gathering information can be more helpful than making dramatic leaps • The difference between taking a leap and building a runway towards change • How to make decisions from facts rather than fear Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you'd like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart.
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June 9 · 34 min
Episode 17: Pricing Artwork, Creative Flip-Flopping & Hobby Businesses
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Caroline, Alison and Laurel – exploring the emotional complexity of pricing artwork, the overwhelm of constantly changing creative direction, and the question of whether a calming creative hobby should become a business at all. Caroline is a printmaker who has started selling her linoprints at fairs and markets, but pricing her work leaves her constantly second guessing herself. If a print doesn’t sell, she feels tempted to lower the price immediately, yet afterwards worries she has undervalued the work entirely. We talk about the emotional side of pricing creative work, the pressure of standing beside your work at fairs, why artists often struggle to separate value from self-worth, and how to develop a pricing framework that feels sustainable without losing accessibility and generosity. Alison started drawing and painting three years ago and has become completely obsessed with creativity, but finds herself constantly flip-flopping between watercolour, acrylic, mixed media and different artistic influences online. Every new artist she discovers sparks excitement, but also leaves her feeling creatively unanchored and unsure what direction to pursue. We talk about overstimulation in the internet age, the difference between curiosity and creative fragmentation, why style usually emerges slowly through repetition, and the importance of staying with something long enough to move beyond the initial excitement. After retiring two years ago, Laurel discovered crocheting and now describes it as “yoga for my hands.” She’s been making beautiful ponchos for friends and family and is wondering whether she should start selling them online through somewhere like Etsy. But with each piece taking weeks to make, she feels unsure whether she wants a business at all, or simply a gentler way of sharing her work. We talk about the pressure to monetise hobbies, the emotional shift that happens when creativity becomes commercial, and how to share handmade work without losing the joy that made you fall in love with it in the first place. In this episode, I explore: • Why pricing artwork is often far more emotional than practical • The pressure artists feel when selling work face-to-face at fairs and markets • How accessibility and sustainability can sometimes pull in opposite directions • Why social media can leave creatives feeling overstimulated and creatively fragmented • The difference between curiosity and constantly abandoning work too soon • How artistic style often emerges slowly through repetition rather than force • The pressure many people feel to monetise hobbies after retirement • Why creativity does not always need to become a full business • Gentler ways to begin sharing handmade work without losing the joy of making Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart
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June 2 · 31 min
Episode 16 : Creative chat with my Mum
In this special episode of The Creative Couch, I’m joined by a very special guest… my mum. Before we headed off together to Italy for my recent drawing and printmaking retreat, I asked listeners to send in their questions for her — and this episode became such a lovely, funny and genuinely heartfelt conversation. We talk about all the things people are always asking me about her: her creativity, her sense of style, how she manages to look so glamorous at 80, and whether she secretly has some kind of fitness regime (spoiler: she absolutely does not). We also talk about motherhood, independence, confidence, ageing, supporting creativity in your children, and what it’s been like having a daughter who has always lived such a creative life. It was recorded just before we left for Italy together, so now that we’re back home again, it feels like a really lovely little snapshot of that moment in time. We didn’t manage to answer every question that was sent in, but thank you so much to everybody who contributed — there were so many thoughtful and brilliant questions. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore in a future episode, you’re always welcome to send it to thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart
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May 26 · 33 min
Episode 15: Artistic Ethics, Mailing Lists & Creative Identity
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Sarah, Lyn and Helen – exploring artistic ethics, building a mailing list from scratch, and the vulnerable question of whether to create under your own name or hide behind a brand. Sarah recently spotted a print in an exhibition that looked strikingly similar to another artist’s well-known work. The similarities immediately left her feeling uncomfortable and questioning where the line exists between inspiration and imitation. She found herself wondering whether she was overreacting, whether the gallery or artist would already know, and whether she had any responsibility to say something at all. How do we navigate those ethically blurred creative situations without becoming “the art police”, and what responsibility do artists have when something simply doesn’t sit right? Lyn is an abstract painter from Virginia who is trying to build a mailing list completely from scratch. Without a website, newsletter or strategy already in place, the whole process feels overwhelming and difficult to begin. We talk about the emotional resistance artists often have around self-promotion, how to start building an audience slowly and organically, and the practical realities of creating a newsletter through exhibitions, markets, workshops and genuine connection rather than aggressive marketing tactics. Helen lives in Mallorca and is preparing to start selling her prints, but finds herself stuck on the surprisingly emotional question of whether to use her own name or work under a brand identity instead. Her surname feels difficult, foreign and disconnected from the place where she now lives and makes work, and part of her wonders whether hiding behind a more carefully constructed brand would feel safer. We talk about visibility, identity, authenticity, belonging, and why people often connect more deeply to a real person than a polished brand. In this episode, I explore: • The emotional difference between inspiration and imitation • Why ethically uncomfortable situations in the art world can feel so complicated • Whether artists have a responsibility to intervene when something feels “off” • How to begin building a mailing list from absolute scratch • Why newsletters are more about connection than marketing • The importance of growing an audience slowly and authentically • Why many artists feel vulnerable using their own name publicly • How branding can sometimes become a way of hiding • Why authenticity and personality matter more than appearing “perfect” online Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com You can also find me on Instagram at @sammarshallart
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May 19 · 40 min
Episode 14: Framing Anxiety, Comparison & Blank Sketchbooks
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Barbara, Mimi and Juilette – exploring framing and exhibitions, comparison and creative growth, and the pressure we place on ourselves through sketchbooks. Barbara has started selling her paintings and is now thinking more seriously about exhibitions and presenting her work professionally. But framing has suddenly become a confusing world full of hidden rules and standards she doesn’t fully understand. From hanging systems and ready-made frames to worries about whether her work looks “professional enough”, she finds herself second-guessing every decision. How do you know what’s good enough when it comes to framing, and how do you stop presentation anxiety from undermining your confidence as an artist? Mimi has been painting watercolours for more than 35 years and has built a successful practice creating detailed miniature works that have sold well and received awards. But after immersing herself in classes, webinars, podcasts and online inspiration, she’s finding herself overwhelmed by comparison and increasingly disconnected from her own voice. At the same time, she’s trying to work larger and looser, but feels clumsy and discouraged every time she attempts it. Should she stay with the style she already excels at, or keep pushing herself into unfamiliar territory in the hope that something new might emerge? Juilette loves the idea of keeping travel sketchbooks and carefully packs beautiful drawing materials every time she goes away. But when she actually arrives, she freezes. Between perfectionism, pressure to make “good” drawings, and struggling to claim time for herself while travelling with her husband, she often comes home with a blank sketchbook and a heavy sense of disappointment. How do you build a genuine sketchbook habit without turning drawing into another thing to get right? In this episode, I explore: • Why comparison often increases when we consume too much creative input • The difference between growth and proof of failure • Why awkwardness is often a sign of expansion in your practice • How framing can become emotionally tied to legitimacy and professionalism • Why simple presentation is often enough for exhibitions and sales • The pressure sketchbooks can quietly carry • How perfectionism stops us from noticing small meaningful moments • Why creativity often begins to flow again when we lower the stakes Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com
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May 12 · 1 hr 2 min
Episode 13: A Creative Conversation with Laura Smith
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I’m joined by painter Laura Smith for the first in a new series of creative conversations with artists, friends and fellow creatives about their practice and creative lives. Although the podcast began with me responding to creative dilemmas sent in by listeners, it was always my intention to intersperse those episodes with longer, more open-ended conversations with other creatives, and I’m so happy to be starting that part of the podcast with Laura. Laura and I have known each other for years. We both studied at the Slade School of Fine Art and later at the Royal Drawing School, and in this conversation we settle in for a thoughtful, wide-ranging chat about painting, creativity, teaching and the realities of sustaining a creative life over time. We talk about studio life, living and working in London, balancing creative practice with other commitments, and our experiences of social media and Instagram as working artists. We also discuss painters we admire, including Giorgio Morandi, the importance of looking slowly, and the artists and exhibitions that have been inspiring us lately. Along the way, we share recommendations, reflections on teaching, thoughts on creative pressure, and some honest conversation about the quieter, less visible parts of maintaining an artistic practice. You can find Laura on Instagram at @Laurajrsmith. We’ll be returning to creative dilemmas next week, so if you’ve got a dilemma you’d like me to respond to, you can send it to thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com.
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May 5 · 44 min
Episode 12: Instagram Burnout, Pricing and Creative Pressure
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Dana, Lou and Alan – exploring the frustration of Instagram, the fear around raising prices, and the pressure of making the most of a creative opportunity. Dana runs a small creative business making lino prints inspired by coastal architecture and tide lines, and once found Instagram a really supportive place to share her work. But as the platform has changed, her reach has dropped, growth has stalled, and the pressure to keep up with reels, trends and constant posting has started to take over. What once felt like connection now feels like performance, leaving her questioning both her work and her place on the platform. How do you continue using Instagram without letting it drain your energy or define your sense of progress? Lou has been running creative workshops that are gaining momentum, with returning participants and fuller classes, but financially things aren’t adding up. After factoring in travel, materials and venue commissions, she’s barely paying herself, yet feels nervous about raising her prices in case it puts people off or disrupts the growth she’s seeing. When is the right time to increase your prices, and how do you do it without losing the people who already support you? Alan has rebuilt his creative practice later in life and is now developing his work through printmaking, selling at markets and running workshops. He’s recently been accepted onto an artist residency, giving him two weeks of dedicated time and space to make work. But instead of feeling free, he feels torn between planning too rigidly and risking failure, or going in unprepared and wasting the opportunity. How do you approach something like this without turning it into a test, and how do you balance structure with spontaneity? In this episode, I explore: • Why your relationship with Instagram matters more than the algorithm • How expectations around visibility and growth can quietly drain your energy • The difference between being busy and being financially sustainable • Why underpricing often comes from fear rather than strategy • How to approach opportunities without turning them into something to get “right” • Why structure and spontaneity aren’t opposites, and how they can support each other Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com
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April 28 · 35 min
Episode 11: Accuracy, Creative Pressure and Overthinking
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Marilyn, Rachel and Jill – exploring the pressure to draw accurately, the weight of creative expectations after a big life change, and the paralysis that comes from overthinking and too many ideas. Marilyn has loved art her whole life but still feels held back by a voice that tells her her drawings must look exactly like what she sees. After discovering a more expressive way of working, something clicked, but she’s struggling to move away from accuracy and trust her own choices. How do you draw with confidence when you’ve spent years believing there’s a “right” way to do it, and how do you begin to work more freely with colour and mark-making? Rachel recently stepped away from a long and intense career to create more space for printmaking, but an upcoming exhibition has left her feeling overwhelmed rather than inspired. With her confidence shaken and pressure building, she’s questioning whether she’s ready at all, and feels she needs to create an entirely new body of work to prove herself. How do you approach opportunities like this without turning them into a test, and how do you move forward when everything suddenly feels like it matters too much? Jill has reached a stage in life where she finally has time to focus on her creativity, but instead of making, she finds herself stuck in overthinking. With multiple mediums, endless ideas, and questions around time, purpose and choosing the “right” project, she hasn’t started anything at all. How do you begin when everything feels important, and how do you stop thinking and start making without needing everything to make sense first? In this episode, I explore: • Why accuracy can become a limitation rather than a guide in drawing • How early experiences shape the way we approach our work, often without us realising • The pressure that can follow a big life change, and how it can quietly block creativity • Why you don’t need a whole new body of work to move forward • How overthinking and too much choice can stop you from beginning • Why the idea of a “why” can sometimes become unhelpful rather than supportive Each dilemma is explored with both emotional insight and practical steps you can try in your own creative life. If you have a creative dilemma you’d like me to explore, please email me at: thecreativecouchpod@gmail.com
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