The Create! Podcast

There is a next-level version of you already waiting and this episode will help you step into it. 
Drawing on a decade of running Create! Magazine and watching hundreds of artists grow, Kat (Ekaterina Popova) lays out exactly how to graduate to the next stage of your career, whether you are a visual artist, a maker, or a small business owner. The identity shift that unlocks real momentum, a framework for choosing opportunities worth your time, and a clear five-step action plan you can start this week.
HIGHLIGHTS
The identity shift behind every real level-up
Why your behavior follows your identity, and how to update it
How the art world defines career stages, and why you get to decide what counts
The three kinds of opportunities, and which ones actually move you forward
A five-step action plan to step into your next level this month
THE 5-STEP ACTION PLAN
Audit where you actually are
Define your next level specifically
Do the mindset and presentation work: bio, website, CV
Get into a solution-oriented room
Become generous and give from your experience
SPONSOR
This episode is brought to you by Blue Green Galleria Fine Art, specializing in Chinese and Asia-Pacific contemporary artists. Catch them at the first-ever Salt Lake Art Show, May 14 to 17 at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy, Utah. Find them at booth A202 with a duo presentation by Yana Hu and Long Han.
https://bluegreengalleria.com | Blue Green Galleria on Artsy
CREATE! COLLECTIVE
Your environment shapes what you believe is possible. The Create! Collective is our membership community of artists and creative entrepreneurs winning grants, opening galleries, and building bigger tables. Join ours or build your own, but find a room that lifts you up.
https://www.createmagazine.co/collective
SUBSCRIBE + SUBMIT
Create! Dispatch on Substack: Studio Sundays, open calls, and tips every week. Free tier available. Support independent publishing for $10 a month. https://createmagazine.substack.com
Submit to Studio Sundays: our free Sunday feature spotlighting your workspace. https://airtable.com/apptRl5pIcdTzhYLt/pagcaZN4AGQpEUkjy/form
CONNECT
@createmagazine | https://www.createmagazine.co

Indira Cesarine is an artist, curator, and the founder of The Untitled Space, one of New York City's most vital independent galleries. She has built a practice that refuses to be contained by a single role, and this conversation is a behind-the-scenes look at how she does it.
We sat down to talk about her current exhibition "In Full Bloom," a group show featuring 34 women artists working with floral and botanical imagery as a vehicle for transformation, identity, and power. But we went much further than the show itself.
Indira shares what it took to open and sustain an independent gallery in New York, how she thinks about building a curatorial vision that is both intellectually honest and visually compelling, and what it means to remain a practicing artist while running an institution. If you have ever wondered what it looks like to hold multiple creative identities at once and build something meaningful across all of them, this episode is for you.
In this episode:
What led Indira to found The Untitled Space and what the early years actually looked like
How she develops a curatorial concept from first instinct to finished exhibition
The way her own studio practice informs how she reads and selects the work of other artists
What she looks for in a group show and how individual voices come together into something larger
Sustaining creative leadership over the long term without losing the work that started it all
Links and resources:
"In Full Bloom" is on view at The Untitled Space, 45 Lispenard Street, New York, NY through May 22, 2026. Visit www.untitled-space.com for full details.
Submit your work to Create! Magazine. We are currently accepting submissions for upcoming issues and exhibitions. Visit https://www.createmagazine.co/call-for-art to apply.
Free masterclass: Sell More Art. Build a sustainable practice and start earning consistently from your creative work. Register at https://courses.createmagazine.co/sell-more-art-free-training-2026.

Ekaterina Popova sits down with Liz Lidgett, gallery owner, art advisor, and author of the newly released book "Art for Everyone: How to Collect Art and Personalize Your Space on Any Budget." Liz has built a thriving gallery and design practice in Des Moines, Iowa, and has spent her career making the art world feel welcoming, joyful, and genuinely accessible to collectors at every level.
In this conversation, they explore the business side of building a sustainable art career, including how artists can better connect with collectors by focusing on home-ready presentation and offering varied price points. Liz also shares what she wishes more artists understood about the collector relationship, and how she turned her location into a superpower rather than a limitation.
Whether you are an artist looking to grow your career or someone who has always wanted to bring more art into your home, this episode is full of practical insight and genuine encouragement.
In this episode:
What inspired Liz to write "Art for Everyone" and who it is for
How artists can make their work more collector-ready
The importance of varied price points and accessible entry pieces
Building a gallery and creative career outside of major art hubs
What collectors are really looking for when they walk into a gallery
Links and Resources:
Get the book: Art for Everyone by Liz Lidgett
Liz Lidgett Gallery: lizlidgett.com
Follow Liz on Instagram: @lizlidgett
Submit your work to Create! Magazine: createmagazine.co/call-for-art

In this episode of the Create! Podcast, host Ekaterina Popova sits down with Amy Cavanaugh Royce, the Executive Director of Maryland Art Place (MAP). Amy shares her journey from a professional touring cellist and recording artist to a leader in arts administration, providing a candid look at the resilience required to sustain a major contemporary arts hub. The conversation explores the intersection of creative empathy and executive leadership, emphasizing why protecting physical space is vital for the health of a city's creative economy.
Episode Highlights
The Evolution of a Practitioner: Amy explains how her background as a freelance musician allowed her to bring a unique level of empathy to her leadership role.
Understanding the Process: She highlights the importance of leaders understanding what it takes for artists to get to a final product to effectively advocate for them.
Protecting Creative Real Estate: A discussion on Amy's commitment to retaining MAP's 20,000-square-foot building in downtown Baltimore to ensure artists stay within the context of general commerce.
Fundraising and Resilience: Amy offers insights into the different funding landscapes of DC and Baltimore, noting that persistence is key and that a "no" from a potential donor often simply means "not now".
Creating Artist Opportunities: From the "Out of Order" annual auction to managing the Maryland State Arts Directory, Amy explains how MAP connects artists with collectors and public art projects.
The Bromo Art Walk: Amy previews the upcoming event on May 14th, featuring a New York–Baltimore exchange curated by Jim Condren and Glenn Goldenberg.
About Maryland Art Place (MAP)
Maryland Art Place (MAP) inspires, supports, and encourages artistic expression through innovative programming, exhibitions, and educational opportunities while recognizing the powerful impact art can have on our community. MAP creates a dynamic environment for artists of our time to engage the public by nurturing and promoting new ideas. MAP has served as a critical resource for contemporary art in the Mid-Atlantic since 1981.
Take Action
Submit Your Work: Visit the Create! Magazine Call for Art to find current opportunities to get your work in front of a global audience.
Support the Mission: Learn more about Maryland Art Place, become a member, or donate by visiting mdartplace.org.
 
Visit the Gallery: Explore the current exhibitions at 218 West Saratoga Street, Baltimore, MD.

Ten years ago, I took the leap into full-time creative entrepreneurship with no roadmap, no guarantee, and a lot of hope. This episode is my honest look back at what actually got me here, and it is not a highlight reel.
I recently had the honor of spending two days at Michigan State University as a guest lecturer and juror for the undergraduate senior show. The organizers asked me to speak about failure, not success. That invitation sent me into a real reflection on the moments that broke me open and ultimately built everything I have today.
In this episode I share what I wish I had known at 27, including why I stayed too long in projects that had expired, how learning to quit strategically changed everything, why your non-negotiables have to come before your goals, how I learned to stop shrinking under criticism without losing my empathy, the difference between goals that are truly yours versus ones you inherited from someone else's definition of success, and why every significant thing I have built grew directly out of a previous failure.
I also talk about losing our first book deal, a solo show that nearly got canceled, the shadow side of stubbornness, and why knowing what hill you are willing to die on matters more than any strategy.
This one is personal. It is also practical. I hope it meets you exactly where you are.
Did this resonate? Let's chat! Tag me over at @katerinaspopova on IG
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