S2E7: Painter Stacey McCall on a creative life

Season 2: The Home SeasonThe second season of Creative Momentum with Meg, The Home Season, features interviews with Australian writers and artists where I explore how and why people do their creative work. Episode 7: Stacey McCall, PainterStacey McCall studied gold and silversmithing at RMIT, raised five daughters, and somewhere in between all of that, discovered that the things sitting around her house were the most meaningful subject matter she could paint.These days she works full-time from a tiny studio in her backyard, shows regularly with Boom Gallery in Geelong and Michael Reid Galleries, and is about to head to London and Berlin, where she has an exhibition opening.In this conversation, Stacey talks about the rituals that get her into flow each morning, the bridge painting that connects one body of work to the next, and what four weeks in a Montmartre Airbnb with a fellow painter gave her that a regular studio day simply cannot. She talks about knitting as thinking time, afternoon naps as creative problem solving, and why she always goes back to the sketchbook when confidence runs low.And she shares something that will resonate with anyone whose creative life has had to wait: she didn’t really start until her youngest started school. And then she found her thing.Connect with Stacey McCallInstagramWebsiteThe Bridge Letters: letters between artists Stacey and Elizabeth BarnettGalleries & exhibitionsMichael Reid Berlin exhibition (14 May to 6 June 2026)Boom Gallery in GeelongMichael Reid MurrurundiLinks to things mentioned in the interviewFitzroy PaintingAmber CreswellStill Life bookFind all Creative Momentum with Meg show notes and interviewsA special thanks to Yvonne Morton for the music accompanying this episode. You can find Yvonne on Bandcamp and Instagram. Get full access to Musings with Meg at megdunley.substack.com/subscribe