The Creative Couch with Sam Marshall
The Creative Couch is a podcast about creativity, doubt, and finding your own way of making work. Hosted by artist and coach Sam Marshall, it’s a place to talk honestly about making work, staying connected to creativity, and building confidence over time.
Episodes
34 episodes
Episode 33: Reclaiming Confidence, Creative Fatigue & Working Independently
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Suzanne, Ella and Jane, exploring how to rebuild creative confidence after it has been badly damaged, why observational drawing can feel so menta...
Episode 32: Growing Slowly, Starting Again & Finding Your Creative Language
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Meg, Kathy and Taura, exploring how to grow a creative business when time is limited, how to make peace with returning to art later in life, and ...
Episode 31: Privacy, Artistic Ethics & Trusting Your Style
A quick note before we start: I accidentally recorded this week’s episode without my usual microphone, so the sound is slightly more echoey than normal. Everything is clear, though, and I decided it was better to share the episode than reco...
Episode 30: An Honest Q&A About Art, Life, Choosing to Be Child-Free & Single, and the Story Behind My Positivity
In this week’s episode of The Creative Couch, I’m doing something a little different. While I waited for some new creative dilemmas to come in, I asked you to send me your questions instead, and you certainly did.Questions came in...
Episode 29: Imposter Syndrome, Pushing Your Work Further & Selling Your Art
⭐ I’m desperate for more dilemmas! ⭐I’ve now reached the end of the dilemmas currently sitting in my inbox, so if there is something you are struggling with in your creative life, however big, small, specific or strange it might s...
Episode 28: Finding Coherence, Making Art Responsibly & Fear of Criticism
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Amandine, Jen and Michelle, exploring artistic identity, environmental responsibility, creative guilt and the lasting impact of criticism....
Episode 27: Retiring as an Artist, Marketing Your Work & Finding Time to Create
A little podcast note: there won’t be an episode of The Creative Couch next week as I’m away for ten days and taking a short break. I’ll be back the following week with another three creative dilemmas.In this episode of The Creati...
Episode 26: Rejection, Finding Your Style & Protecting Studio Time
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Kate, Anabelle and Ruth, exploring rejection, artistic identity, finding your style, rebuilding confidence and learning to protect your creative time.
Episode 25: Creative Chat with Sarah Jane Moon | Portraiture, Teaching & Creativity
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I sit down with the wonderful artist and portrait painter Sarah Jane Moon for a relaxed and thoughtful conversation about creativity, portraiture and building a life as an artist.Originally...
Episode 24: Success, Grief & Creative Overwhelm
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Kate, Susan and Coralie, exploring creative success, grief, burnout, overwhelm and how to protect the joy of making when life and work begin placing too...
Episode 23: Solo Exhibitions, Returning to Art & Creative Uncertainty
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Craig, Anouk and Linda, exploring artistic permission, returning to creativity after a long absence and building a creative life alongside chroni...
Episode 22: Talking About Your Art, Saying No & Finding Your Style
Editor's note: During Della's dilemma I accidentally referred to her as "Bella" several times. My sincere apologies, Della. It was a genuine slip during recording, and I'm very grateful to you for sending in such a thoughtful question.
Episode 21: Exhibiting, Printing & Opting Out
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to four thoughtful creative dilemmas from Jen, Laura, Sheena and Nikky, exploring art appreciation, printmaking, selling artwork, creative identity and the complicated relationship between creati...
Episode 20: Creativity After Crisis, New Studio & Interrupted Practice
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Grace, Mary Lou and Kelly, exploring creativity after crisis, returning to the studio after major life changes, chronic illness, momentum, artistic iden...
Episode 19 : Burnout, Selling Art & Finding Your Direction
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Claudia, Sophie and Caroline, exploring burnout, artistic identity, selling artwork, creative validation and the challenge of moving beyond your comfort...
Episode 18: Digital Art, Creative Time & Leaving Teaching
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Mimi, Louise and Cally – exploring digital art, creative time, financial security and the realities of building a creative life.Mimi is ...
Episode 17: Pricing Artwork, Creative Flip-Flopping & Hobby Businesses
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Caroline, Alison and Laurel – exploring the emotional complexity of pricing artwork, the overwhelm of constantly changing creative direction, and the qu...
Episode 16 : Creative chat with my Mum
In this special episode of The Creative Couch, I’m joined by a very special guest… my mum.Before we headed off together to Italy for my recent drawing and printmaking retreat, I asked listeners to send in their questions for her — and th...
Episode 15: Artistic Ethics, Mailing Lists & Creative Identity
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Sarah, Lyn and Helen – exploring artistic ethics, building a mailing list from scratch, and the vulnerable question of whether to create under your own ...
Episode 14: Framing Anxiety, Comparison & Blank Sketchbooks
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Barbara, Mimi and Juilette – exploring framing and exhibitions, comparison and creative growth, and the pressure we place on ourselves through sketchboo...
Episode 13: A Creative Conversation with Laura Smith
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I’m joined by painter Laura Smith for the first in a new series of creative conversations with artists, friends and fellow creatives about their practice and creative lives.Although the podcast bega...
Episode 12: Instagram Burnout, Pricing and Creative Pressure
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Dana, Lou and Alan – exploring the frustration of Instagram, the fear around raising prices, and the pressure of making the most of a creative opportuni...
Episode 11: Accuracy, Creative Pressure and Overthinking
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Marilyn, Rachel and Jill – exploring the pressure to draw accurately, the weight of creative expectations after a big life change, and the para...
Episode 10: Presentations, Too Many Directions and Shipping Artwork
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Magdalena, Carrie and Jennifer – exploring public speaking nerves, feeling pulled in too many creative directions, and the practical realities of shippi...
Episode 9: Starting to Sell, Losing Interest and Studio Block
In this episode of The Creative Couch, I respond to three thoughtful creative dilemmas from Becky, Emeline and Addy – exploring how to start selling your work, what to do when interest fades after success, and how to navigate creative ...