In the final episode of season one, I sit down with Tracy Verdugo, an Australian artist and teacher whose vibrant work and approach to creativity has touched lives worldwide. Like many of us, Tracy came to art later in life - she was 33 when she first picked up a paintbrush, believing until then that creativity was something other people did.

Our conversation explores how she moved from teaching art to neighbourhood children to running international workshops and retreats, building a thriving creative business while managing chronic illness. We dig into the reality of being a working artist - the challenge of balancing creative time with business demands, the importance of working in seasons, and how to stay connected to the joy of making art when it's also your livelihood.

What I love about this conversation is how Tracy emphasises the importance of community over commodity. Her approach isn't about quick wins or marketing tricks - it's about building genuine connections and letting the business grow organically from there. Whether you're considering taking your art professional or simply wanting to develop a more consistent creative practice, Tracy offers practical insights about staying true to yourself while building something sustainable.

✍ Read the full show notes here: https://www.elinortrierstudio.com/podcast/ep6-tracy-verdugo

💻 Visit Tracy's website here: https://tracyverdugo.com/

💌 Never miss an episode - sign up for my Studio Letters here: https://www.elinortrierstudio.com/keepintouch

🎶 All music by the incredible Caspar Riis: https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis. Used with permission.

You're in for an absolute treat with this episode! I had the utter joy of chatting with the phenomenal Rachel Allen - a writer, journalist, and memoirist who's as sharp as a tack and twice as insightful.

Rachel and I dove headfirst into the glorious mess of creative writing, particularly when it comes to tackling sensitive subjects. We talked about everything from how she approaches writing about trauma (including her own) to the importance of treating every single person with compassion and humanity - even those society might deem 'unworthy'.

I was utterly gobsmacked by Rachel's ability to find the humanity in everyone she encounters. She has this incredible knack for excavating stories from the most unexpected places - from prison guards to taxi drivers.

We also chewed over the challenges of balancing honesty and authenticity in storytelling with respecting the privacy and feelings of those involved. And of course, we couldn't help but touch on the importance of self-care when dealing with heavy subjects.

If you're fascinated by the human condition and love a good, juicy story (who doesn't?), then pop the kettle on and settle in for a listen. I promise you'll come away feeling inspired, uplifted, and maybe even a tad more compassionate towards your fellow humans.

✍ Read the full show notes here: https://www.elinortrierstudio.com/podcast/ep5-rachel-allen

💻 Visit Rachel's website here: https://www.rachelcatherineallen.com/

💌 Never miss an episode - sign up for notifications here: https://www.elinortrierstudio.com/podcast

🎶 All music by the incredible Caspar Riis: https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis. Used with permission.

Join me for a delightful conversation with the wonderful Edward Ficklin! In this episode of Zuzu's Haus of Cats Presents… we explore the risqué world of Edward's erotic art and discuss the hurdles of being an erotic artist in our increasingly conservative digital landscape.

Edward and I chat about everything from the beauty of comics as a medium (not just a genre) to the frustrations of dealing with censorship on social media platforms. We share a laugh over his clever ways of working around the rules and talk about the importance of creating your own community when the mainstream isn't quite ready for you.

But it's not all heavy stuff - we also discuss Edward's creative process, his fondness for flowers (Georgia O'Keeffe would approve), and how he juggles his art with a day job. Plus, we delve into the wonderfully subversive world of creating art that's filthy without breaking any rules - how's that for clever?

So, if you're feeling a bit daring and want to push at your edges a little bit without being shut down by the Internet, this episode is a must listen. Enjoy, darling!

✍ Read the full show notes here: https://www.elinortrierstudio.com/podcast/ep4-edward-ficklin

💻 Visit Edward's website here: https://edwardficklin.com/

💌 Never miss an episode - sign up for notifications here: https://www.elinortrierstudio.com/podcast

🎶 All music by the incredible Caspar Riis: https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis. Used with permission.