The SneakyArt Podcast

Host Nishant Jain documents his journey of self-education to be an artist, and has deep, insightful conversations with artists and sketchers from around the world.

Ep 75 - Live in Portland with Amy Stewart for the Sneaky Book Tour 11/21/2025

Ep 75 - Live in Portland with Amy Stewart for the Sneaky Book Tour In this episode, host Nishant Jain speaks with Amy Stewart at the Broadway Books in Portland (OR) at the penultimate stop of his book tour. They speak about creative growth, interactions with readers at book events, and Nishant's philosophies around drawing. The conversation is followed by insightful questions from the audience. 📚 Buy the book: 💻 Watch this conversation on YouTube: 💌 Sign up to Nishant's newsletter: ❤️ If you enjoyed this episode, buy Nishant a coffee: /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/39119355

Ep 74 - How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Book Tour 10/31/2025

Ep 74 - How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Book Tour Standing on stage in front of strangers to talk about your book may sound terrifying - and sometimes it can be! - but what are some good reasons to embrace the discomfort? Halfway through the Sneaky Book Tour, I share lessons from the road, and reflect on what excites me about speaking about my book with as many people as possible. 🗓️ Next stops are in Vancouver, Portland, and Seattle. Come see me: 📚 Buy Make (Sneaky) Art: ✍🏼 [] On the Road with Make (Sneaky) Art: ✍🏼 [] The books I talk about (when I talk about my book): ✍🏼 [] Things go Wrong but that’s Alright: ☕️ Liked this episode? To show your appreciation just buy me a coffee: ❤️ Love this show? Become a supporter via Substack: /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/38852665

Ep 73 - Being the Travel Artist with James Richards 10/17/2025

Ep 73 - Being the Travel Artist with James Richards Artist, writer, educator, architect James Richards talks about his new book - The Travel Artist - the one that he was “born to write”. What does it mean to hold to your creative vision even in the face of contrary professional advice? What do we learn, and what must we unlearn, to take a creative project from ideation to execution? What are the ideas we pick up from traveling and observing the world, and how does Jim embody the spirit of il dolce far niente (the sweetness of doing nothing)? This is a conversation about doing everything and doing nothing, and a life weaving through both of these philosophies. 🎨 Find Jim’s work on his website () or visit his Instagram (). 📚 Buy The Travel Artist: 📚 Buy Nishant’s book Make (Sneaky) Art: 🤳🏼 Follow Nishant’s work on Instagram () or sign up to the weekly newsletter if you (too) are sick of social media: ☕️ If you liked this episode, buy Nishant a coffee: ❤️ If you love the show, support it as a paying subscriber: /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/38612580

Ep 72 - Preview the Artist Life with Genine Carvalheira 10/03/2025

Ep 72 - Preview the Artist Life with Genine Carvalheira Ottawa-based artist, urban sketcher, and designer Genine Carvalheira shares sketching adventures from drawing penguins in Chile to a 21-day adventure beyond the Arctic Circle in Norway. A few years ago, when her partner offered Genine the chance to preview retirement, she leapt at the opportunity. How did this transform her art and her sketchbook practice? How does she feel about going back to work again? This is a conversation about belonging - to a country, to a group, even something as simple as a local community of sketchers. 🤳🏼 [] Genine on Instagram 💻 [] Genine’s live workshop with Art Toolkit on Oct 4 🎨 [] Genine’s in-person, week-long art-retreat in Italy in 2026 ✍🏼 [] Nishant’s newsletter of secretly drawn art of the world + share your thoughts about this episode. 📚 [] Nishant’s book - Make (Sneaky) Art: and other ideas to build your sketchbook habit. 🎟️ [] the Sneaky Book Tour! Nishant goes on the road to share his sketching experiences, the funny business of writing a book, and why you need a sketchbook habit. Next stop: Oct 13 in New York. /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/38451290

Ep 71 - My Big Idea to Save the World 09/26/2025

Ep 71 - My Big Idea to Save the World If the modern world runs on the attention economy, are we simply fuel for its fires? If the modern world runs on the attention economy, can we win by reclaiming our attention spans? In this episode, Nishant recounts his experience at the prestigious Aspen Ideas Festival, where he shared his Big Idea to save the world - a cheap sketchbook and a pen. 📚 Make (Sneaky) Art is now out in bookstores and available online. Grab your copy: . 🎟️ Find Nishant on the SneakyArt Book Tour: ✍🏼 [] How to Break out of Social Media Prison ✍🏼 [] Impressions from Aspen Ideas Festival ✍🏼 [] Working with a publisher when you only like working alone ✍🏼 [] On pub day, a mild existential crisis appears. /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/38359890

Ep 70 - Defining your own Adventure with Samantha Dion Baker 09/19/2025

Ep 70 - Defining your own Adventure with Samantha Dion Baker New York-based artist and author Samantha Dion Baker introduces her latest book - Draw your Adventures. What are good ways to think of the word ‘adventure’? Does it always need to be an exotic, foreign location? Sam and Nishant discuss ways to craft a personal definition of adventure, free of other people (plus social media) opinions. Then big questions creep in! If all knowledge already exists on YouTube, what really is the job of the how-to book? If artists are self-driven, why do we benefit so much from community? Also, are disembodied hands easier to draw than hands attached to their people? BONUS: Sam offers advice for first-time authors (like Nishant!) to deal with the anxiety of expectations. 📚 Buy by Samantha Dion Baker 🎨 Check out Sam’s exciting new in Brooklyn 📚 Buy by Nishant 🎟️ Meet Nishant on the 🎙️ Listen to Sam & Nishant’s in Ep 52 of the show /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/38271845

Ep 69 - And we're back! 09/05/2025

Ep 69 - And we're back! After a near 2-year hiatus, the SneakyArt Podcast is BACK with fresh ideas, new perspectives, and the same opening music. (Yay!) In this quick update: Why Nishant stopped and three reasons he decided to resume the show How podcasts are a special thing in the wasteland of the dead internet The show remains the same … but also not? Two book recommendations - by John Berger, by Katy Hessel. In lieu of optimized monetization funnels, directly support Nishant’s crazy/stupid path of independent art: Buy Nishant’s book - . Old listeners, new listeners, and super listeners, share what you like about the show - nishant[at]sneakyartist[dot]com. /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/38079390

Ep 68 - Making your own Path with Jason Chatfield 10/14/2023

Ep 68 - Making your own Path with Jason Chatfield New York-based cartoonist and comedian Jason Chatfield talks about how the business of being an artist has changed over the last two decades. This episode is full of essential advice and our best ideas about sustaining an independent creative career. It is the conclusion of the conversation from Ep 67. 💡 Follow from this episode. 📚 Buy Jason’s book, 📲 Check out to learn about all his work and sign up to his . ☕ Like this episode? . 🔥 Love the show? Support it by . ✍🏼 Follow SneakyArt on . /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/28314065

Ep 67 - Stand up & Sit down with Jason Chatfield 09/23/2023

Ep 67 - Stand up & Sit down with Jason Chatfield New York-based cartoonist and comedian Jason Chatfield speaks about taking over Australia’s iconic daily comic strip, Ginger Meggs, at the tender age of 23, and how he sees the path ahead for syndicated comic strips and the newspaper industry. Other topics include - the evolution of humour over time, not doing political comedy, Derrida, and people-watching at the MoMA. Big stuff. Also, the difference between meme-ification and mummification. This is the first episode of a two-part conversation. 💡 For all the good links and ideas from this episode, to see the cheatsheet of this conversation, check out . 📚 Buy Jason’s book, 📲 Check out to learn about all his work. 📪 Sign up to Jason’s . ☕ Like this episode? . 🔥 Love the show? Support it by . ✍🏼 Follow SneakyArt on . /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/28119890

Ep 66 - From Heart Attack to Renewal with Jeff Schmidt 08/18/2023

Ep 66 - From Heart Attack to Renewal with Jeff Schmidt London-based educator, artist and author Jeff Schmidt, speaks about his book “Heart Attack - Finding hope, joy and inspiration in adversity”. This conversation is about the big and small things that can transform our life in unexpected ways, and Jeff’s resolution to live inspired - by making room for the things that bring joy to his life. 📚 Buy Jeff’s book, . ☕ Like this episode? . 🔥 Love the show? Take the summer deal to . 💡 For all the good ideas from this episode, . 📲 Follow Jeff Schmidt on and check out . ✍🏼 Follow SneakyArt on . /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/27777822

Ep 65 - War and Not-War with Nina Khashchina 07/28/2023

Ep 65 - War and Not-War with Nina Khashchina California-based illustrator Nina Khashchina shares the experience of daily video calls with her parents in Kharkiv, after Ukraine was invaded and the bombs fell everyday. She speaks about recommitting to the Ukrainian language as part of her war effort. A wild book list appears. This is the second of a two-part conversation. 🎙 Listen to the first part, . ☕ Like this episode? . 🔥 Love the show? (and get a special listener discount!) 💡 For all the good ideas from this episode, . 📲 Follow Nina Khashchina on and check out . ✍🏼 Follow SneakyArt on . /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/27589329

Ep 64 - Growing up in Ukraine with Nina Khashchina 07/14/2023

Ep 64 - Growing up in Ukraine with Nina Khashchina California-based illustrator Nina Khashchina speaks about her childhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine, growing up in the former USSR, her lifelong journey with art, and how she documents her life through sketchbooks. . This is the first of a two-part conversation. ☕ Like this episode? . 🔥 Love the show? 💡 For all the good ideas from this episode, join 9000+ people and of the SneakyArt Post. 📲 Follow Nina Khashchina on and check out . ✍🏼 Follow SneakyArt on . /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/27460563

Ep 63 - (Part 2) Sketching Here & Everywhere with Christina Wald 06/30/2023

Ep 63 - (Part 2) Sketching Here & Everywhere with Christina Wald Cincinatti-based Christina Wald speaks about how to live and thrive as an independent artist and illustrator. They discuss Kickstarter, Patreon, and ways to keep the creative process at the heart of your practice, and the creator in the economy. This episode is the second part of the conversation from Ep 62. ☕ Like this episode? . 🔥 Love the show? . 💡 For all the good ideas from this podcast, join 8000+ people to of the SneakyArt Post. 📲 Follow Christina Wald on and check out for the latest projects. ✅ Catch the ✍🏼 Follow SneakyArt on . /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/27313644

Ep 62 - Sketching Here & Everywhere with Christina Wald 06/16/2023

Ep 62 - Sketching Here & Everywhere with Christina Wald Cincinatti-based Christina Wald speaks about how to live as, and making a living from, being an independent artist and illustrator. This is a conversation about how to work for yourself while meeting client expectations. It is about Christina’s multiple successful Kickstarter projects, including her latest book (link below). This episode is for anyone eager to chart their own path as an independent creator. Lots of practical advice, listen carefully! 💡 For all the good ideas from this conversation, and join 8000+ readers of the SneakyArt Post. 📲 Follow Christina Wald on and check out for the latest projects. 📚 Buy by Christina Wald. ✍🏼 Follow SneakyArt on . ☕ Like this episode? . (and say hello!) 🔥 Love the show? . (and join the Kickstarter discussion next week!) /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/27166614

Ep 61 - Design Thinking with Ellen Vesters 06/02/2023

Ep 61 - Design Thinking with Ellen Vesters Utrecht-based sketcher, illustrator and educator Ellen Vesters speaks about the design-thinking approach to life and all the things she does. After practicing as a psychologist, and getting an MA in Illustration, Ellen founded the Venster Academy to teach art and illustration. Nishant also shares the story of how he accidentally became an artist while trying to become a writer after quitting his PhD program in Neuroscience. If you have wondered about taking a big leap in your life, this conversation will give you some ideas! 💡 For all the links and ideas from this conversation, read the . 📲 Follow Ellen’s work on and check out . 🏫 Visit the . 🎙 while sketching in Utrecht, Netherlands. 💌 Join 8000+ readers, . ✍🏼 Follow SneakyArt on . ☕ Like this episode? . (and say hello!) 🔥 Love the show? . (and support my work!) /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/27023115

Ep 60 - Words are just Lines too 05/19/2023

Ep 60 - Words are just Lines too Host Nishant Jain presents the idea that writing and drawing are literally the same thing. If you can do one, you can also do the other. This episode was recorded for paid subscribers of SneakyArt. ❤️ Love this show? to support it! More good ideas: 💻 Read . 📖 Learn his first book of art 🔁 Play Finite v Infinite Games and to success 💻 Watch the for SneakyArt Insiders 📚 Celebrate ✍🏼 For more good ideas every week, . /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/26875770

Ep 59 - Never Look at the Numbers 05/05/2023

Ep 59 - Never Look at the Numbers Host Nishant Jain takes a look at Goodhart’s Law, originally coined to describe monetary policy, but applies it instead to the business of being an artist today. No matter how successful (or unsuccessful) you are at social media, here are some good reasons to never look at the numbers. "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a useful measure." - Goodhart's Law. ❤️ Love this episode? and get future Insider episodes directly in your inbox. 👂 Listen to shared with Insiders! 🎙 Listen to 🎯 Read Nishant's plans for ✍🏼 Read the from the episode. /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/26752056

Ep 58 - Illustrating Black History with George McCalman 04/21/2023

Ep 58 - Illustrating Black History with George McCalman Author, artist, and designer George McCalman speaks about making his award-winning book (Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and the Unseen) at the intersection of twin curiosities - to learn more about black history, and to find out if he could be an artist. This is a conversation about curiosity, the importance of following your own compass, and the need for every artist to be a work-in-progress. 💡 For all the links and ideas from this conversation, read the . 📲 Follow George’s work on 📚 Learn more about and ! 💌 Join 7000+ readers, . ✍🏼 Follow SneakyArt on . ☕ Like this episode? . (and say hello!) 🔥 Love the show? . (and support my work!) /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/26606385

Ep 57 - Into the Wild with John Muir Laws 04/07/2023

Ep 57 - Into the Wild with John Muir Laws San Francisco based artist, naturalist and educator John Muir Laws talks about nature-journaling and the many benefits of paying deep attention to our natural environment. (00:13:50) Sketching in the wild (00:43:21) Ways to keep a nature journal. (00:59:23) John’s lifelong obsession with field guides and nature conservancy. (01:24:13) They read poems to each other. Aww. (1:34:40) BREAK (1:44:21) How to draw a bird (2:28:55) Nature stewardship, the role of the amateur, and the Wild Wonder Foundation 💡 For all the links and ideas from this conversation, read the . 📲 Follow John’s work on , visit , and learn more about the . ✍🏼 Follow SneakyArt on . ☕ Like this episode? . (and say hello!) 🔥 Love the show? . (and support my work!) /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/26472762

Ep 56 - An Art Residency on Wheels 03/24/2023

Ep 56 - An Art Residency on Wheels The SneakyArt Podcast returns for a new season. Host Nishant Jain speaks about his recent art residency aboard the TransLink, Vancouver’s public transit system. What can be learned from drawing on trains? Nishant speaks about pushing outside his comfort zone, engaging with the public, and facing his fears. ✍🏼 Read about . 📺 Catch his 📻 Listen to his ☕️ Like this episode? ❤️ Love his work? /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/26315046

Ep 55 - Travelling through History with Sunil Shinde 11/25/2022

Ep 55 - Travelling through History with Sunil Shinde Seattle-based artist and traveller Sunil Shinde speaks about retracing the 1839 expedition of British artist David Roberts through the biblical Holy Land. This conversation is at the intersection of travel, history, and art. In this respect, it is really about three distinct journeys - Sunil’s journey through the Middle East, the 1839 expedition of David Roberts, and Sunil’s effort to combine his words and lines into an excellent book - “From Cairo to Beirut”. 📚 BUY THE BOOK, “From Cairo to Beirut” - () () 🔍 (5:05) The first journey - the origins of Sunil’s curiosities - how history led to travel, and how both led to sketching. 🔍 (33:55) The second journey - retracing an expedition nearly 200 years ago, noting what has changed and what has stayed the same. 🔍 (1:53:40)The third journey - writing the book, approaching agents and publishers. 💡 For more detailed notes (with timestamps) and the best ideas from this conversation, read the . 🙌🏽 Follow Sunil Shinde on . ✍🏼 Follow SneakyArt on . ☕ Like this episode? . (and say hello!) 🔥 Love the show? . (and support my work!) /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/25127844

Ep 54 - Making a YouTube Channel with Sandi Hester 11/11/2022

Ep 54 - Making a YouTube Channel with Sandi Hester This conversation was recorded immediately after the recordings for Episodes 38 and 39 in April 2022. Sandi and Nishant draw portraits of one another while tying up some loose ends from their epic conversation. Nishant asks how he can build and sustain a YouTube channel. Sandi has some excellent ideas. ✍🏼 To check out their portraits, a summary of the ideas in this episode, and links to other previously paywalled content, visit . 📹 Check out Sandi’s and visit . ✍🏼 Follow SneakyArt on . ☕ Like this episode? (and say hello!) 🔥 Love the show? (to support my work!) /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/24975579

Ep 53 - Getting Things Done with Amy Stewart 10/28/2022

Ep 53 - Getting Things Done with Amy Stewart Best-selling author Amy Stewart (”Flower Confidential”, “Drunken Botanist”, “Girl Waits with Gun”) talks about her disinclination to pick a lane, the ideas that have helped her navigate a successful writing career, and the role of art in her creative practice. This conversation addresses several dichotomies of the creative life - instant vs delayed gratification, processes vs results, art vs writing, and sticking to a lane vs sticking to one’s convictions. It is about understanding how Amy gets so many things done. It is a conversation about many things and then some more - cocktails, 19th century feminism, gardening, poisons, the global flower industry, and people who collect trees. It is an episode about “one and a half things.” Catch all the best ideas in the . 🔍 Last week I completed Book 1 of the Kopp Sisters’ stories - . I highly recommend it! 🙌🏽 Check out Amy’s other books, her art, and her online classes on . Sign up to . ✍🏼 Follow SneakyArt on . 📭 Read the show notes to follow the threads, rabbitholes and . ☕ Like this episode? . (and say hello!) 🔥 Love the show? . (and support my work!) /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/24827964

Ep 52 - Chasing Horizons with Samantha Dion Baker 10/14/2022

Ep 52 - Chasing Horizons with Samantha Dion Baker New York-based artist, educator, and author Samantha Dion Baker shares the profound impact a daily sketchbook practice had on her creative journey. She explains her brave decision to go freelance, and discusses what it means to follow one’s own compass. Is art a solitary pursuit? Would you make art on a deserted island? Why or why not? This conversation has some good answers. ******** 🙌🏽 Follow Sam on and visit to follow her other work. ✍🏼 Follow SneakyArt on . 📭 Check out the . ☕ Like this episode? . (and say hello!) 🔥 Love the show? . (to support my work!) /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/24681303

Ep 51 - Making a Book with Koosje Koene 09/30/2022

Ep 51 - Making a Book with Koosje Koene We’re back! After a refreshing summer hiatus, the SneakyArt Podcast returns with a conversation with Amsterdam-based artist and YouTuber Koosje Koene. They speak about her book “Life is Better when you Draw (it)” and the experience of self-publishing from raw concept to finished product and beyond! 📚 Also find Koosje’s work on , and . 🎙 Listen to our previous conversation, . Also catch the about self-publishing and being creative entrepreneurs. ⛳️ Follow SneakyArt as it happens on . 📭 Find all the from this episode. Share your thoughts too! ☕ Like this episode? . (and say hi!) 🔥 Love the show? . (and support my work!) /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/24539097

(A Second Listen) Ep 22 with Zainab Tambawalla 09/03/2022

(A Second Listen) Ep 22 with Zainab Tambawalla The SneakyArt Podcast is currently on summer break. During this period, host Nishant Jain offers a second listen to underrated gems from the archives. *** (Originally aired: July 16, 2021) Mumbai-based artist Zainab Tambawalla speaks about her sketch-reportage project to document the lives of various artisans in Mumbai (India) during the first wave of the pandemic. Her project urges us to notice the lives of other people and pay closer attention to the humanity that constitutes our urban landscape. *** 👍🏼 Follow Zainab's work on . ⛳️ Follow SneakyArt on . ☕ Liked the conversation? 🔥 Love the show? 📭 For the best ideas from the show, add SneakyArt to your inbox: . /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/24261528

(A Second Listen) Ep 17 with Roisin Cure 08/12/2022

(A Second Listen) Ep 17 with Roisin Cure The SneakyArt Podcast is currently on summer break. During this period, host Nishant Jain offers a second listen to underrated gems from the archives. *** (Originally aired: May 7, 2021) Roisin Cure, an urban sketcher and illustrator in Galway (Ireland), talks about learning to draw from comic books and the ways that urban sketching has transformed her art and approach to life. *** ⛳️ Follow SneakyArt on . 📭 Add SneakyArt to your inbox: . ☕ Liked the conversation? 🔥 Love the show? /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/24034038

Ep 50 - Ask Me Anything with Nishant Jain 08/05/2022

Ep 50 - Ask Me Anything with Nishant Jain To celebrate the milestone of 50 episodes, the tables are turned on host Nishant Jain. Uma Kelkar steps in to host an AMA-style (Ask Me Anything) episode, posing the best questions crowdsourced from fans of the show and past guests. Nishant speaks about his journey to be an artist, how the podcast began, and the directions he is now keen to explore. The show is going on a brief summer hiatus. Nishant will be recording new material while travelling! To stay in the loop, . 🎙 Follow Uma’s work on and visit her . 📭 The best words & ideas from this episode - . ☕️ Liked this episode? and share your thoughts. 🔥 Love the show? Support it by . /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/23964303

Ep 49 - Chasing Stillness with Gavin Snider 07/22/2022

Ep 49 - Chasing Stillness with Gavin Snider Gavin Snider finds stillness in the busy streets of New York. He talks about growing up in Kansas, drawing with his twin brother Grant (cartoonist of Incidental Comics) and the decision to become an architect. We learn about how Gavin came to New York city, how he began to paint his world, and what it is like to paint the most iconic city in the world. 🖊 Find Gavin’s work on or . ⛳️ Follow SneakyArt on . 📭 Read the show notes and best insights from this episode: . ☕ Did you enjoy the conversation? (and say hello!) 🔥 Do you like the show? /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/23822432

Ep 48 - Getting Inked with Alvin Chong 07/08/2022

Ep 48 - Getting Inked with Alvin Chong Malaysia-based Alvin Chong talks about finding his way back to art as an adult after deciding to become a tattoo artist. This conversation is about the value of chasing your curiosity, and having the courage to chart your own path. 🖊 Find Alvin’s work on or . ⛳️ Follow SneakyArt on . 📭 Read the show notes and best insights from this episode: . ☕ Did you enjoy the conversation? (and say hello!) 🔥 Do you like the show? (just one cup of coffee per episode!) /episode/index/show/thesneakyartist/id/23680865

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