The Independent Artist Podcast
Visual Artists! You are not alone! IAP gives voice to the working artist. Inspirational and entertaining conversations with successful road show artists. Every story delves into the process of self-discovery behind the work and the career path that creates financial success. Douglas Sigwarth is a glassblower, and Will Armstrong is a mixed-media artist. Both have been working as independent artists for over 20 years on the art fair circuit. As cohosts, their contrasting experiences and styles make for comical and relatable talks that affect today’s contemporary artists.
The Independent Artist Podcast
Am I the Artist, or Am I the Art?/ Elissa Brown
Welcome to The Independent Artist Podcast with your hosts Douglas and Will — the show where we pull back the curtain on the real life of working artists. Before we dive into today’s conversation, Will and Douglas kick things off by talking about the whirlwind of doing the One of a Kind Show—the highs, the hustle, and what it takes to say yes to an opportunity before it slips away. They reflect on the importance of moving quickly when the window opens, trusting your instincts, and learning to spot the difference between real opportunity and distraction. The intro wraps with a timely reminder for artists: how to recognize and ward off a scam email before it costs you time, money, or peace of mind.
Today’s episode is titled “Am I the Artist, or Am I the Art?”—and it’s a deep, unfiltered conversation with mixed media artist Elissa Brown (http://www.thefreckledarmy.com/p/mina-page.html)
Elissa is a storyteller first, even when the story begins with crippling anxiety, sweating through her shirt, and stepping straight into the void. In her work, she creates entire worlds—layered, constructed realities that blur the line between facade and truth, between an impenetrable exterior and what’s breaking underneath. She openly embraces the unreliable narrator, questioning whether we ever fully control the stories we tell about ourselves.
We talk about the commonality of the banal, the necessity of invention, and why, sometimes, if you can’t teach, you have to do. We talk about choosing your hard, about becoming a better version of yourself, even though you know full well it doesn’t say “asshole” on the check.
This is a conversation about identity, anxiety, and the uncomfortable honesty of making art from necessity rather than comfort. Elissa’s work isn’t just something you look at—it’s a place you step into. And once you’re there, the question becomes unavoidable: where does the artist end, and the art begin?
Visual artists Douglas Sigwarth (https://www.sigwarthglass.com/) and Will Armstrong (http://www.willarmstrongart.com/) co-host and discuss topics affecting working artists.
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