The Sustainable Studio: Reality Transurfing, Pendulums, and Avoiding Burnout
Release Date: 01/19/2026
Artist. Curator. Founder. How Indira Cesarine of The Untitled Space in NYC Built a Creative Career That Does Not Fit in a Box
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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...
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10 Years In: The Failures That Built My Creative Business
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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...
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This Super Simple Confidence Hack for Artists with Marina Granger
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In this episode, Kat welcomes Marina Granger back for another installment of their ongoing series. They dive deep into the nuances of identity, confidence, and a unique manifestation practice Marina has utilized since she was twelve. Whether you are transitioning into a new career phase or simply feeling a dip in your creative self assurance, this conversation offers a quick, actionable ritual to realign with your highest potential. Episode Highlights Identity and Visual Recognition: Marina shares how a recent change in hair color triggered a shift in her confidence because she did not...
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The Timeless Principles of Getting Paid for Your Art (Still Relevant in 2026)
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The Secret Financial Lives of History's Most Famous Artists (Yes, Including the Illegal Stuff), with Mason Currey
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You Don't Have to Choose Between Making Art and Building a Career. James Miille Proves It. Photographic artist James Miille has shown work in New York, Paris, Miami, and Mexico City, built two companies, and never stopped making the art that started it all. In this episode he pulls back the curtain on how he actually does it. James creates surreal composite photographs entirely from scratch, every element shot by him, every image sparked by a song. He breaks down his creative process, why documenting your work is now more important than ever, and how he thinks about the business of being an...
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The Gap Between Where You Are and Where You Want to Be Is Not a Problem with Kat
The Create! Podcast
You invest in a mentor, a course, or a new skill, and instead of feeling excited, you feel exposed. You see the artist you admire and wonder if you will ever get there. Your ego wants you to quit before you even start. Sound familiar? This week Ekaterina gets honest about her own experience of evolving, trying new things in the studio, shifting her art, and the vulnerability, self-doubt, and resistance that showed up right alongside it. She turns that moment into the most important conversation you can have as a creative or entrepreneur: what to do with the gap between where you are today and...
info_outlineIn 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.
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