Drift vs Direction: When Creative Work Loses Its Shape

Drift vs Direction: When Creative Work Loses Its Shape

There are times when creative work feels alive and purposeful. And there are times when we keep moving, producing, and staying busy without feeling any closer to where we want to go. In this Studio Note, Michele reflects on the difference between drift and direction, and on the quiet moment when exploration begins to feel more like avoidance. Drift is not always a problem. It can be part of the process. But eventually, creative direction requires choices: what to continue, what to leave behind, and what kind of work we are actually trying to build. A reflection on movement, attention, and finding a clearer path through creative change. In The Making is a Piperlime Studio podcast about creative practice in changing times. Produced by Michele Mauviel and Piperlime Studio

Choosing Depth Over Visibility with Chiara Talia

Photographer Chiara Talia has built her creative practice around patience, observation, and a deep connection to the natural world. Based in Italy, Chiara is especially drawn to birds — not only as subjects, but as living reminders of movement, instinct, beauty, and freedom. In this conversation, Chiara reflects on the pressure artists feel to constantly perform online, the way social media can flatten creative work into results, and why she has chosen to step away from short-form video in favour of deeper, more intentional storytelling. We talk about wildlife photography, creative integrity, the tension between visibility and authenticity, and the harder private conversations that happen when an artist realizes an old way of sharing the work no longer fits. This episode is about choosing depth over visibility, protecting the process, and finding a creative direction that feels true.

Why Stanley Kubrick's Films Still Haunt Us

Why do Stanley Kubrick's films stay with us — and keep changing every time we return to them? In this episode, we explore the strange power of Kubrick's work, from 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining to Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Barry Lyndon, and Eyes Wide Shut. We talk about Kubrick's world of control, moral ambiguity, technological anxiety, and the unsettling mysteries at the centre of human experience. This is also a conversation about artistic seriousness, and what it means to make work with total conviction, and why some artists continue to challenge us long after their time.

Tich The Watchman - Art That Feeds Without Killing

At the edge of the Zambezi Valley, where wildlife and village life intersect, artist Tichaona "Tich" — The Watchman has found a way to turn painting into protection. In this episode, we talk with Tich about growing up beside a national park in Zimbabwe, his first encounter with elephants, and how those experiences shaped a life dedicated to wildlife and conservation art. Tich doesn't see art as decoration. For him, it's a responsibility — a way to tell the story of animals, communities, and the fragile balance between survival and protection. Together we explore: • How a childhood love of drawing became a mission to protect wildlife • Why Tich calls himself "The Watchman" • The challenge of conservation in communities where poverty is a daily reality • How art can create economic alternatives to hunting wildlife • Why Tich rejects pity and insists on dignity and collaboration between cultures At the heart of the conversation is a powerful idea: a painting can put food on the table without taking life from the land. This episode was recorded remotely between Canada and Zimbabwe. The audio is a little rough at the beginning due to connection issues, but it improves as the conversation unfolds, and the insights from Tich are well worth it. Stay with us.

At the Threshold: Invisible Work & Becoming in Theatre

What does it mean to begin a creative life after training, but before anything feels settled? In this episode of Rebel Artists Through Time, we're joined by Erynn Troup, a Cape Town–based theatre practitioner working as both a performer and a stage manager. Fresh out of formal training and already embedded in professional productions, Erynn occupies a rare position — seeing the work from the stage and from the wings at the same time. We talk about the moment when theatre stops being theoretical and starts becoming real: the pressure of responsibility, the choice to take on invisible roles, and the quiet authority of making work happen without being seen. Erynn reflects on stage management as creative leadership, the realities of working within South Africa's theatre ecosystem, and how uncertainty, adaptability, and kindness shape early creative careers. This is not a how-to episode or a career roadmap. It's a conversation about being in the middle of becoming — before narratives harden and before answers feel clear.