Building a Body of Work with Debbie Mackenzie

Creative Strategy with Kass and Lauren Hernandes from Crossing Threads

Today I'm talking with sisters Kass and Lauren Hernandez, the fibre artists behind Crossing Threads [https://www.instagram.com/crossingthreads/]. This was an interesting conversation about what creative strategy actually looks like in practice; the real, week to week decisions that go into building a sustainable creative practice. Kass and Lauren are first generation Australians of Filipino heritage, living and working on Wangal and Gadigal Land in Sydney. They create one of a kind fibre and textile artworks; tapestries, woven pieces, soft sculptures, and framed textiles for both residential and commercial spaces. We talk about their weekly WIP structure (which they complete on Fridays and come back to fresh on Mondays), how they use Slack to communicate across the business, and why they time-track everything using Toggl. We get into how they filter every opportunity through a set of ROIs; financial gain, brand positioning, exposure, relationships, community, and creative growth; and why saying no is one of the most valuable things they do. We also chat about what it means to work with your sister, navigating feedback, dealing with imposter syndrome, and how becoming mothers was ultimately the catalyst for going full-time. This is one of those conversations that made me want to take notes! I hope you get as much out of it as I did.  We mentioned a lot of different systems and tools in this one and you’ll find a complete list on the Substack post here.  Find Kass and Lauren here on their website [http://crossingthreads.co] and here on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/crossingthreads/]. You can find the podcast her [https://www.instagram.com/thecreativekindpodcast/]e on Instagram & here [https://thecreativekind.substack.com/] on substack Thanks so much for listening! Feel free to rate, review and share if you enjoyed it, it really does help other people find the show. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Q&A with Sophie Vander from Curatorial+Co

Sophie Vander is back, and this time we're going straight to your questions. Since Sophie's first appearance on the podcast back in August 2024, I have had a lot of follow up questions come in- it seems you had so much more you wanted to hear from her. So did I! Sophie is the founder and director of Curatorial+Co, a Sydney-based contemporary art gallery and consultancy on William Street in Woolloomooloo. She works with a stable of 45+ artists (80% of whom are female-identifying), leads a team of 11, and juggles gallery exhibitions, an art consultancy arm, and international art fairs, all at the same time. In this episode we cover a lot of ground, from the work Sophie saw at Art SG that completely stopped her in her tracks, to how she picks artists for international fairs, what actually puts her off an artist, and where she goes looking for new talent. We talk about the art market right now, honestly and practically, and what that means if you're an emerging artist trying to sell work. We chat about the gallery relationship; including the one thing she says almost never happens when artists come to her about representation, but really should. Links and people mentioned: * Curatorial+Co website: curatorialandco.com [https://curatorialandco.com] * Curatorial+Co on Instagram: @curatorialandco [https://www.instagram.com/curatorialandco/] * Morgan Stokes: morganstok.es [https://www.morganstok.es] | @morganstok.es [https://www.instagram.com/morganstok.es/] * Theresa Hunt: @theresahuntartist [https://www.instagram.com/theresahuntartist/] * Simon Cardwell: @cardwell.simon [https://www.instagram.com/cardwell.simon/] * Lynn Savery: lynnsavery.com.au [https://lynnsavery.com.au] | @lino_savery [https://www.instagram.com/lino_savery/] * Sophie Vander on the Build Beautiful podcast - here [https://www.buildbeautifulpodcast.com/2516687/episodes/18736323-sophie-vander-from-online-art-store-to-one-of-sydney-s-largest-gallery-spaces] * Sophie's first appearance on The Creative Kind: August 2024 episode [https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/sophie-vander-of-curatorial-co-the-artist/id1738378716?i=1000666532689] * Artworks that Sophie Mentioned: * Citra Sasmite at Art SG [https://www.instagram.com/citrasasmita_work/] * Marina Abramović at Art SG [https://www.instagram.com/p/DT2ikAyjX-y/?img_index=1] * For a more complete list- please check out the substack post here [https://substack.com/@thecreativekind]  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with an artist friend, it genuinely helps other people find the show ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Critique and the Inner Critic with Alyssa Monks

In this episode I’m talking with painter Alyssa Monks about how feedback, both internal and external, shapes an artist’s work and confidence. We explore what kinds of critique have helped her over her career and how she learned to distinguish useful feedback from noise. Alyssa shares how critical comments that bother you can sometimes be the most revealing. We also dive into the psychological side of creativity: transforming your inner critic from an adversary into a problem-solving partner, trusting your own vision while staying open to perspective, and why asking who you ask for feedback matters. Alyssa reflects on navigating personal and professional critiques, choosing when to ask for input, and why hope and curiosity are essential ingredients in the studio. You can find Alyssa here at her website:  alyssamonks.com [http://alyssamonks.com],  Here on instagram [https://www.instagram.com/alyssamonks/] And here on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/cw/AlyssaMonks?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=join_link] Video Available here: If you'd like to watch this conversation, you can find selected episodes of The Creative Kind on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaTG9iM73_IZTt3eEv54muA] and on Substack [https://substack.com/@thecreativekind]. Later this year I should be able to publish videos on Apple and Spotify and will update this feed then too.   Just search The Creative Kind Podcast [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaTG9iM73_IZTt3eEv54muA] or follow the link in the show notes to watch the full interview with Alyssa. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Making Work in Overwhelming Times with Diana Weymar

In this episode, I’m joined by artist and writer Diana Weymar, whose practice involves textiles, language, and collective participation. Diana is best known for the Tiny Pricks Project, an ongoing body of embroidered text works responding to political language, poetry, and cultural moments. We talk about what it means to make and share work when the world feels overwhelming, and how artists decide what deserves their attention. Diana speaks about translating words into thread, the difference between reacting and observing, and why slowness can be a powerful artistic tool in a fast-moving information landscape. We also discuss criticism, community, and the tension between wanting to speak out and recognising you can’t respond to everything. Diana shares how the project evolved from a small personal experiment into a global participatory archive of over 5,000 pieces, and why she’s comfortable letting a project change shape over time. This conversation explores political art, creative responsibility, and the quiet but profound impact of making something by hand. We talk about uncertainty, nuance, and the idea that art doesn’t always need to resolve issues, sometimes it simply holds space for them. Find Diana Weymar  here [https://www.instagram.com/dianaweymar/] on instagram and also over at @tinypricksproject [https://www.instagram.com/tinypricksproject/] and her website here at www.tinypricksproject.com [https://l.instagram.com/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tinypricksproject.com%2F%3Futm_source%3Dig%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_content%3Dlink_in_bio%26fbclid%3DPAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnXflVlv52iB2evQqxzV1e4XC-u1qppsA0-6QhUOooT36Sib3FxPHEL8ywpOc_aem_FfeiF-lMW868F63ZM6xIXA&e=AT6G88y4MIfeihdzWDnnE5sXq2NcyoC7VxQPLXmA8LIzv86tT4pBDGMZPbBVfS4xNRkIxm-HNepSFb7BHCZMjaj1dHY0Yem-NFvzg_I4kQ] You can find the podcast her [https://www.instagram.com/thecreativekindpodcast/]e on Instagram & here [https://thecreativekind.substack.com/] on substack Thanks so much for listening! Feel free to rate, review & share if you enjoyed it, this helps other people find the show ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Building a Body of Work with Debbie Mackenzie

In this episode, I’m joined by landscape painter Debbie Mackenzie, who lives and works on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. Debbie shares how her paintings grow out of the places she spends time in, and how her ideas evolve naturally as she works toward a solo exhibition. We talk about what it means to build a body of work rather than individual paintings, and how each piece can influence the next. Debbie explains her unusual process of photographing inspiration and then never looking at the images again, relying instead on memory and feeling to guide her compositions. We also get into the realities behind the scenes; logistics, deadlines, long studio days, balancing family life, financial gaps between shows, and the emotional comedown that can happen after finishing a major series. Debbie also reflects on consistency, why she rarely changes her palette, and how small shifts like music or brushes can spark experimentation without disrupting cohesion. You can find Debbie on instagram here [https://www.instagram.com/debbiemackenzieartist/], her website here: www.debbiemackenzieart.com [http://www.debbiemackenzieart.com/] She is represented by SYDNEY - Michael Reid Gallery - Southern Highland [https://www.instagram.com/michaelreid.southernhighlands/]s & Michael Reid Northern Beaches [https://www.instagram.com/northernbeachesgallery/] MELBOURNE - Kelli Lundberg Gallery [https://www.instagram.com/kellilundberg.art/] You can find the podcast her [https://www.instagram.com/thecreativekindpodcast/]e on Instagram & here [https://thecreativekind.substack.com/] on substack Thanks so much for listening! Feel free to rate, review & share if you enjoyed it, this helps other people find the show ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.