Good is the Enemy of Great: Escaping the Trap of Quick Validation & "The Short-Term Giggle"
Release Date: 01/11/2026
Mastering the Subconscious: Intuitive Painting and Global Art Career with August Vilella
The Create! Podcast
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...
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Finding Your Collectors Without Galleries: Sharone Halevy on Commission Work, The Superfair, and Why Artists Need Hobbies
The Create! Podcast
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...
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The Sustainable Studio: Reality Transurfing, Pendulums, and Avoiding Burnout
The Create! Podcast
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...
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Good is the Enemy of Great: Escaping the Trap of Quick Validation & "The Short-Term Giggle"
The Create! Podcast
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...
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Sober Magic, Art & The Year of the Magician: A Conversation with Sarah Potter
The Create! Podcast
In this magical start to the new year, host Kat sits down with her dear friend—psychic medium, curator, and author Sarah Potter. As we step into 2026, Sarah shares wisdom from her life-changing new book, Sober Magic: Using the Tarot and Ritual in Your Journey Away from Drinking. Together, they explore the deep intersection of art and spirituality, discussing how to navigate the "party culture" of the art world while honoring your boundaries. Sarah opens up about her transition from full-time art curator to professional witch, the power of "Glamour Magic" to armor yourself for difficult...
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Bonus Episode: Creating for Pleasure, Intuition, and Sustainable Practice with Victoria Fry, Founder of The New Visionary Art Collective
The Create! Podcast
In this special bonus episode of the Create! Podcast, Kat (Ekaterina Popova) sits down with artist and curator Victoria Fry, founder of The New Visionary Art Collective, for a grounded and nourishing conversation about creativity, intuition, and building a sustainable creative practice and career. Together, they explore the importance of making art for pleasure separate from career expectations, balancing multiple creative roles, and staying connected to intuition and inner joy. Kat also shares insights from her 100-Day Painting Challenge and reflects on how daily practice can transform both...
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Coming Home to Your Art: The Science of Joyful Practice & Creative Flow
The Create! Podcast
In this solo episode of the Create! Podcast, host Ekaterina Popova explores why maintaining a personal art practice is essential not only for artistic growth, but for mental and nervous system regulation, resilience, and overall well-being. Whether you are a professional artist navigating deadlines or a creative seeking to reconnect with your practice, this episode breaks down the neuroscience behind why our brains need art. Kat shares research-backed insights, practical studio strategies, and mindset shifts to help you build a sustainable creative routine, even with a busy life. This episode...
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NeuroArts, Manifestation, and Healing: How to Rewire Your Brain with Creativity feat. Anna Denning
The Create! Podcast
In this episode of the Create! Podcast, Ekaterina Popova sits down with Anna Denning, a multimedia artist and the founder of the NeuroArts School, to decode the powerful science behind creativity and healing. Anna shares her fascinating background—growing up with a psychotherapist mother who used drawing to analyze and soothe emotions—and how that evolved into her expertise in "Neuroesthetics," the study of how aesthetic experiences influence the brain. Together, they discuss her collaboration with Colette Baron-Reid on the "Art of Manifesting" book and how "intentional...
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Finding Your Voice: Todd M. Casey on Art Education, Social Media Fatigue and Staying Curious
The Create! Podcast
In this insightful conversation, Kat sits down with celebrated realist painter, author and educator Todd M. Casey. Known for his bestselling books The Art of Still Life and The Oil Painters’ Color Handbook, Todd opens up about the winding road that shaped his artistic life, from studying at MassArt to discovering the atelier system and developing a deep appreciation for classical training. He shares refreshing honesty about navigating art school, finding mentors, resisting social media pressure, and staying connected to the curiosity that fuels meaningful work. Whether you’re a painter...
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When the Hustle Falls Away: Finding Your Creative Flow with Felicia Forte
The Create! Podcast
In this episode of the Create! Podcast, Kat sits down with painter and creative mentor Felicia Forte for a deep and refreshing conversation on creative flow, intuition, burnout, and finding your true pace as an artist. Felicia shares how she moved through a major creative block, rebuilt her relationship with painting, and allowed a slower, more intuitive rhythm to guide her back to the work. She speaks openly about dropping the hustle, choosing resonance over pressure, and trusting the quiet seasons where ideas grow underground. This conversation is full of warmth, honesty, and wisdom for...
info_outlineWelcome 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:
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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.
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Deep Work vs. Shallow Validation: Moving away from the pressure to look successful on Instagram and toward creating work that truly matters.
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The Fear of the Empty Calendar: Overcoming the survival-brain instinct that tells us we are failing if we aren't constantly busy.
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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.
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What’s Inside: Twice-monthly Zoom calls, guest speakers, and support circles.
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New Opportunity: Active members are invited to participate in our exclusive Artsy exhibition coming up this March.
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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: info@createmagazine.com 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!