The Create! Podcast

In this episode, host Kat (Ekaterina Popova) is joined by painter Emi Avora, a London-trained and Singapore-based artist whose work blends architectural structure with lush, dreamlike abstraction. Drawing from her upbringing in Greece, Mediterranean light, mythology, and lived experiences across cultures, Emi creates immersive interiors that feel both opulent and quietly haunting.
www.emiavora.com
 
In this conversation, we discuss:
 
Emi's journey: From growing up in her father's studio in Corfu to her formal art education.
The influence of light: How Mediterranean light remains a primary tool for creating clarity in her work.
Finding roots through relocation: How moving to Singapore drew her back to symbols and mythology in her subject matter.
Building a sustainable practice: Insights on balancing motherhood with a dedicated studio life and trusting the slow unfolding of your work.
Professional milestones: Her recent recognition as the winner of the Women in Art Prize and what that visibility has meant for her career.
 
Connect with us:
Website: https://www.createmagazine.co/

Instagram: @createmagazine

Substack: https://createmagazine.substack.com

What happens when you stop obsessively planning and trying to control the outcome in the studio and start letting your subconscious lead the way? In this episode of the Create! Podcast, host Ekaterina Popova chats with August Vilella, a self-taught artist whose intuitive approach has landed his work in Art Basel and major galleries across Asia and Europe.
August reveals how he abandoned sketches and rigid concepts to find a "direct language" that transcends cultural and language barriers. We explore his "happy accident" move to Japan, his upcoming 10th-anniversary chronological exhibition, and why he believes the best career investment you can make is simply showing up in person. 
In This Episode, We Discuss:
 
The Intuitive Method: Why August starts with a completely white canvas and no prior ideas or sketches to allow the subconscious and past experiences to take a leading role. 
The Self-Taught Advantage: How skipping art school allowed August to find his own unique style and "signature" before being influenced by a teacher's perspective. 
Building a Career from Zero: The story of how a two-week trip for a show in 2020 turned into a five-year Japanese residency after a flight was cancelled during the pandemic. 
Being Your Own "Bad Boss": The discipline required to be strict with gallery deadlines while maintaining a meditative, improvisational creative process. 
The "Lottery" of Opportunities: Why traveling to openings and art fairs is essential for letting collectors and directors see your energy and story, not just the final work. 
Milestone Exhibitions: A look at his massive 500-square-meter 10th-anniversary show in Shenzhen and upcoming solo exhibitions in Tokyo and Ginza. 
Key Quotes:
"All my past experience have some deep impact in my painting... my subconscious mind have a very important role in the creative process." — August Vilella
"The best way to make an interesting career is to travel, to meet people, to talk with people... they not only see your work, they also see your energy." — August Vilella
Connect with the Guest:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/august_vilella_art/
Website: augustvilella.com
About the Host:
Ekaterina Popova is an artist and the founder of Create! Magazine. Explore more articles and opportunities for artists at www.createmagazine.co.

In this episode, I reconnect with Sharone Halevy nearly a year after our collector talk at Superfine (now The Superfair) in San Francisco. Sharone is an abstract expressionist painter who's built her entire practice around commission work and selling directly to collectors without gallery representation.
We discuss her transition from theater directing to painting, why she works on sliding scales to make art accessible, and how she uses sound and storytelling to create "tangible memories," paintings that capture how moments felt rather than every detail. Sharone shares her approach to building confidence, why friends and family are your first important collectors, and how she leveraged social media to create direct audience connection.
As lead curator and operations manager at The Superfair, Sharone coaches every exhibiting artist on booth curation, pricing strategy, and selling techniques. We discuss the fair's rebrand and refocus on attracting the right buyers rather than massive crowds, and why in-person events matter for artists, especially those in rural areas.
We wrap up with Sharone's challenge for the year: find a hobby. Not another income stream or content for social media, something tactile and creative you do purely for joy.
 
CALL FOR ART: CREATE! MAGAZINE 2026 WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL EDITION 
Deadline: January 31st, 2026
Submit: https://www.createmagazine.co/call-for-art
 
CONNECT WITH SHARONE: 
Instagram: www.instagram.com/art_by_sharone/
Website: https://www.artbysharone.com
 
CONNECT WITH CREATE! MAGAZINE: 
Instagram: @createmagazine
Collective: https://www.createmagazine.co/collective
Website: https://www.createmagazine.co
 
MENTIONED: The Superfair: thesuperfair.com 
1000 Libraries coloring books

In this episode, Kat addresses the familiar "January tension"—the conflict between feeling ambitious about new goals while simultaneously exhausted from the past year. She explores what "sustainability" actually means for artists, moving beyond the buzzword to examine what emotionally and financially supports a creative career.
Kat shares insights from Vadim Zeland's book Reality Transurfing, discussing the concept of "pendulums"—energy structures built on collective beliefs (like the pressure to post daily on social media) that feed off our energy. She explains why feeding these pendulums is a losing game and how true magic happens when you prioritize joy and flow over algorithms.
Finally, Kat breaks down the difference between the "glamour" of the art world (museum shows, viral posts) and the reality of what actually pays the bills, encouraging listeners to conduct a "Sustainable Studio Audit" to track income, time, and energy costs.
Key Takeaways:
The January Tension: Navigating the split between wanting to force your career forward and acknowledging deep exhaustion
Understanding Pendulums: How collective beliefs (like "real artists suffer" or "you must hustle 24/7") become energy vampires that distract us from our true desires
Reality Transurfing: Insights from Vadim Zeland's book on how energy flows naturally when you do what you truly want, rather than what you think you should do
Glamour vs. Reality: Why the things that look successful (fancy gallery representation, viral reels) are often not the things that pay the bills (print sales, teaching, direct sales)
Imposter Syndrome: Overcoming the feeling that you aren't "legitimate" if your business is scrappy or doesn't fit the traditional art world model
The Sustainable Studio Audit: A practical exercise to list your income sources, estimate time invested, and rate energy cost (low, medium, high) to eliminate what drains you
Resources Mentioned:
Reality Transurfing by Vadim Zeland
Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by Grapevine.
The secondary market already exists around your work—it's just happening without you. When art reappears on eBay or Craigslist, it loses context, and so do you.
Grapevine is being built to change that, helping artists turn resale energy into momentum and value. Grapevine gives artists a simple page of their own where collectors can resell work peer-to-peer, with your approval, your context, and optional royalties if you choose.
Learn more and reclaim your secondary market at grapevine.market.
Connect with Create! Magazine:
Website & Magazine: createmagazine.co
Education & Resources: createu.co
Newsletter: createmagazine.substack.com 
Instagram: @createmagazine

Welcome back to a brand new season! In this solo episode, Kat reflects on nearly a decade of navigating a full-time art career and the subtle traps that can stall creative growth.
If you have ever felt busy but unfulfilled, or found yourself saying "yes" to every group show and opportunity out of a fear of missing out, this episode is for you. Kat discusses the concept that "good is the enemy of great" and how filling our schedules with "good" opportunities often prevents us from doing the deep, legacy-building work our souls actually crave.
In this episode, we cover:
The "Short-Term Giggle": Why we chase immediate dopamine hits (like small group shows) instead of waiting for the "full meal" of a cohesive body of work.

Deep Work vs. Shallow Validation: Moving away from the pressure to look successful on Instagram and toward creating work that truly matters.

The Fear of the Empty Calendar: Overcoming the survival-brain instinct that tells us we are failing if we aren't constantly busy.

Career Reflection: Kat shares her personal decision to scale back on scattered commitments to focus on producing a body of work she is truly proud of.

 
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
We have officially opened the doors to our membership, The Create! Collective! This is our career membership for artists who want to grow together.
What's Inside: Twice-monthly Zoom calls, guest speakers, and support circles.

New Opportunity: Active members are invited to participate in our exclusive Artsy exhibition coming up this March.

Bonus: Join for the year and receive a special sweatshirt bonus gift.

 
Join The Create! Collective here: https://www.createmagazine.co/collective
 
CONNECT WITH KAT
Email: [email protected] Substack: https://createmagazine.substack.com
 
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend or leaving a review. Cheers to pursuing greatness together!