The Power of Community in a Creative Career - Nolis Anderson
Release Date: 10/07/2025
The Struggle to Find Your Original Voice as an Artist
This is How We Create
What does the advice, "Just be yourself," mean when you are still figuring out who you are as an artist? In this episode photographer, Martine Severin, shares her "prickly" journey to discovering her creative voice and why the path from imitation to authenticity is rarely a straight line. We discuss the "gap" between our taste and our abilities, the pressure artists of color face to be original yet palatable, and why a simple concept changed how she approaches her work. If you are tired of performing for applause and ready to find a voice that feels like home, this episode is for you. Chapters...
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When Your Biggest Failure Becomes Your Signature Style - Shaina McCoy
This is How We Create
Have you ever felt like your inability to master a technical skill was a sign you should quit? In this episode, I sit down with the brilliant painter Shaina McCoy, who transformed a moment of classroom frustration into a profound artistic breakthrough. Shaina opens up about the courage it took to bypass traditional art school to protect her voice, the surprising way she colors her memories, and why she believes making a viewer feel is the ultimate measure of success. If you are struggling to embrace your unique limitations, this conversation might just change your perspective on what it means...
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Welcome to Season Six: A New Look and a Bold Vision - Martine Severin
This is How We Create
Welcome back, friend. We are stepping into Season Six with a fresh energy that I have been dying to share with you. Over the last nine months, my team and I have been working quietly behind the scenes, from the vibrant streets of Medellín to the design studio, to reimagine how this show looks, sounds, and feels. In this episode, I am pulling back the curtain on the major changes we have made, from our stunning new visual identity to the strategic shifts in our programming. I also share why we are pivoting away from our old format and the ambitious goals we have set for growing this community....
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How to Do the Scary Things in Life - Martine Severin
This is How We Create
Want to find out the secret to doing the scary things in life? Are you waiting for the right time or for a surge of confidence to finally send that pitch or apply for that residency. In this episode, we explore the psychological traps of "waiting to be ready" and share research-backed strategies to move from stagnant avoidance to meaningful action. If you have been keeping a scary dream on hold, this conversation might be the gentle push you need to start before you feel brave. Chapters 00:00 The internal draft: Why we wait for the right time 01:05 A snowy reflection on the dreams we haven't...
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Letting Go with Grace: When It’s Time to Make the Hard Call - Martine Severin
This is How We Create
In our ongoing series about the creative process of building a studio, we’ve covered when and how to hire a team. But what happens when a hire isn’t the right fit? I’m pulling back the curtain on a lesson that cost me months of energy and a piece of my confidence as a leader. You'll often know by week three or four when a new hire isn't going to make it, and waiting six months to act isn’t just costly, it's a failure of leadership. I share the difference between a coachable skill gap and a fundamental values misalignment. Discover the two questions that immediately clarify your next...
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From Solo Hustle to Successful Delegation: The Art of Onboarding - Martine Severin
This is How We Create
You’ve made the hire and the contract is signed. Yay. Now we can begin the real work. In this final installment of our mini-series on hiring your first assistant, I’m pulling back the curtain on the first crucial 90 days and the art of proper onboarding. I’ll be sharing the systems and intentional frameworks, honed from years of building teams in my photography business and overseeing a 120-person team in a co-owned company, that help a new hire fully absorb your vision, not just your tasks. I’ll walk you through the 30-60-90 framework for ensuring your new team member is set up for...
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The Creative's Guide to Screening Your First Hire - Martine Severin
This is How We Create
Hiring your first helper is exciting, but it can also be terrifying. After keeping the wrong person on my team for far too long, I realized I had been focusing on all the wrong things. Skills on a resume are table stakes, but you cannot teach someone to care about the details the way you do. In this episode (Part 2 of our hiring series), I am pulling back the curtain on the screening process that saved me from making that mistake again. I share the specific, behavioral questions I now ask to uncover a candidate's true values, the red flags that signal a poor fit, and the single most important...
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Think you need to hire someone? Your exhaustion might be lying to you - Martine Severin
This is How We Create
Some creatives hire when they're overwhelmed, not when they're ready to lead. Before you bring on that intern or assistant, you need clarity on what you're handing off, bandwidth to train them, and rock-solid values they can execute on. I’m pleased to share the hiring frameworks that rocked my world when it came to bringing on new team members. Chapters 00:00 Introduction: The Four-Part Series on Hiring 01:06 The Mistake: Hiring When You Are Not Ready to Lead 02:08 Question 1: What Specific Work Are You Handing Off? 02:49 Question 2: Can You Afford to Train Someone (With Time)? 03:31...
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What an Afro Comb Can Teach You about Design - Jomo Tariku
This is How We Create
What does it take to change an entire industry? Thirty years ago, Jomo Tariku, then an industrial design student, noticed something profound missing in his university library: contemporary African furniture designers. This observation sparked a decades-long journey of persistence and vision. I sit down with Jomo to discuss his path from sketching designs in his garage while working other jobs to having his celebrated work featured in The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. He shares how his father's incredible story as a refugee gave him the hubris to...
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The Quiet Persistence of Creativity - Martine Severin
This is How We Create
I have been thinking a lot lately about the difference between the loud hustle culture of constant visibility and the profound power of simply refusing to give up, even when it feels like nothing is happening. Join me in this episode as I share unexpected lessons in persistence, inspired by Death Valley. Chapters 00:00 - The Unlikely Pairing: Death Valley and Dehydrated Shrimp 01:50 - The Persistence of Fairy Shrimp and Resurrection Moss 02:30 - Redefining Persistence: Why Dormancy is Not Failure 03:40 - When Your Rain Comes: Being Ready to Rise 04:30 - Nature’s Pep Talk: The Audacity...
info_outlineHave you ever felt the pull to leave a secure, conventional career for a more exciting path of as an artist?
In this encore episode, I’m revisiting my conversation with photographer Nolis Anderson, whose journey is a powerful lesson in following your creative intuition.
Nolis shares the incredible story of how he pivoted from pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree to building a full-time photography career, not with a grand plan, but through organic growth and the power of community.
This conversation is a must-listen for anyone wondering if their 'hobby' could be something more.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Nolis Anderson
01:06 - From Kenwood Academy to a Creative Path
02:40 - The Surprising Leap: From Pharmacy to Photography
06:30 - Finding a Voice: From Parties to Portraits
11:50 - The Art of Capturing Ephemeral Moments
14:10 - The "Clean" Aesthetic: Editing and Process
17:15 - The Power of Mentorship and Community
19:20 - Navigating the Business of Creativity
25:50 - Lessons Learned and Looking Ahead
Connect with Nolis:
Follow Nolis on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nolis
Nolis’s Website: https://www.nolisanderson.com/
Support the Show
Website: http://www.martineseverin.com
Follow on Instagram: @martine.severin | @thisishowwecreate_
Subscribe to the Newsletter: http://www.martineseverin.substack.com
This is How We Create is produced by Martine Severin. This episode was edited by Daniel Espinosa.
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