The Healthy Artist

In this episode, we unpack the role of criticism in an artist’s practice: how to receive it, how to give it, and how to keep creating through it.When is feedback helpful, and when does it start to pull you away from your own voice? We talk about trusting your instincts, recognising useful critique, and those rare moments when feedback sparks a real shift in the work. We have opened up 5 mentorship slots, starting in May. For more details visit: thehealthyartist.com

Grab a pen, or a notepad… or open a notes app and give yourself a bit of space. As we go, I’ll be asking you some questions and I’d really encourage you to pause the podcast after each one… give yourself the time to actually sit with it… and respond. Even though this is a short episode, I would give yourself 30-60 mins with the pauses. If you would like to share your reflections please do email thehealthyartistpod.com. We will send the questions out on our newsletter and share them on substack. Please do share this episode if you feel another creative could do with a moment of pause and reflection. Head over to thehealthyartist.com for info on offerings. 

In this episode of The Healthy Artist, we’re exploring a feeling many artists quietly carry but don’t always speak about, this sense that making art can feel pointless, indulgent, or even unnecessary when there is so much difficulty happening in the world.Together, we sit with that discomfort and look at where it comes from: guilt, productivity culture, attention, and the pressure to justify creativity. We also reflect on how making art can be reframed not as self-indulgence, but as something deeply human- an act of connection, agency, and meaning-making.We reference ideas from Aimee McNee's ted talk which you can watch here.If you’ve ever questioned the value of your creative practice, this is a gentle conversation to sit with.For all of The Healthy Artist offerings, please check out our website. 

In this weeks episode we explore motherhood with Eleanor May Watson. Eleanor shares how her first child made her confront barriers she put in her own way in her practice and her journey in letting go and becoming a stronger painter. Eleanor bravely shares the struggles alongside the triumph, and we are beyond grateful for her honesty.Follow her work at @eleanormaywatson and https://eleanormaywatson.co.uk/For all the offering from The Healthy Artist please head over to our website.

In this weeks episode Martha connects with Damaris on her residency in Stavanger. After catching up on their wellness this month they dive into the theme of "The Fear Of Being Seen", covering topics such as the ideas that fuel the work, how we approach writing personal statements and titles for artworks, social media and creative boundaries. Martha also shares details on the first London Meet-up that she is hosting with usual co-host Dan Curtis this weekend and offering The Healthy Artist have. You can check them out on www.thehealthyartist.com.

In this episode of The Healthy Artist we interviewed Ken Nwadiogbu, we explore how to stay grounded in the everyday while holding big dreams. How do you dream boldly without rushing the process?We talk about creating without pressure, mapping the journey instead of chasing outcomes, and why abstraction became a powerful language in his work. He shares how he built an artist community in Nigeria, what success has meant so far, and how meaningful it’s been to have his family recognize his dream as valuable.We also reflect on studio rituals and the quiet practices that keep an artist grounded.As he says, “Being present isn’t ignorance of the dream.”Explore all offerings from The Healthy Artist at www.thehealthyartist.com

In this episode, Martha Lamont is joined by artist Valentino Vannini for a conversation about using art as a way to understand ourselves and the world around us. Together they explore social engagement in art, working with materials that carry meaning, queering structure and form, and how vulnerability, humour, and imperfection can open up new ways of connecting with an audience. To sign up to The Healthy Artist newsletter or see what creative offering they have, head over to thehealthyartist.com

A gentle wellness journal for artists, loosely inspired by The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. In this episode, we explore the tender, often tricky feelings that surface at the start of a new year- rebuilding self-trust, learning how to recognise our gut feeling, and sitting with the vulnerability of beginning new projects when certainty feels far away. Martha is moving through a season of slowing down, while Damaris is in a period of creative crunch as deadlines approach. Together, they reflect on how to honour the seasonality of their practices, making space for both rest and momentum without guilt.For information on meetups and courses head over to www.thehealthyartist.com

As The Healthy Artist turns one, Martha shares a gentle New Year reflection on creative care, grounding practices, and what the next chapter will look like. This short episode touches on finding a softer rhythm, setting values-led boundaries, working within limits, and staying connected to your creative practice without rushing towards outcomes. A quiet invitation to begin the year with care.

In this episode, we sit down with Claudia Kennaugh, professional artist coach and advisor, to explore her mission to empower artists with clarity, confidence, and sustainable creative practice. Claudia shares the most common challenges artists face today, from finding an authentic artist voice, to the essential theme of slowness- why it matters, how it supports creativity, and how artists can invite more space for it in their creative careers. We also talked about our shared passion project: the 6-month mentorship with The Healthy Artist. After a hugely positive response, we’ve now opened 5 new slots for the cohort beginning February.Want to join us? Head over to The Healthy Artist to explore all available courses and book your mentorship place.

Heeyoung Noh is an emerging painter from South Korea, who explores themes of intergenerational trauma, diaspora and the female body. We talked to Heeyoung about her experiences working with intense and personal subject matter, her experience studying and working across multiple countries and cultures, and how she maintains a healthy artist community in times of isolation. 

As artists we can feel that we are not deserving of a community. That our work is not good enough or real enough to connect with other artists, and that we are the only ones who feel like this. What is the solution to this feeling of isolation? Carving out your own community, and finding those like you. This week we dive into the radical act of building artistic community and lay some foundations for how we are building community through the Healthy Artist podcast, with information about upcoming courses, mentorship programmes, and in person meet ups! 

In this week we interviewed Hector Campbell. Hector is an art historian, writer and curator based in South London. He is the director of Soup Gallery in Elephant & Castle and runs a weekly newsletter called The Shock of the Now and much much more. We loved hearing about Hector's journey, work ethic and advice for artists. Make sure to sign up to his weekly newsletter here.To subscribe to our newsletter or support us through Kofi please visit out website.Thank-you friends x

In this weeks episode we discussed 6 ways of breaking free from creative blocks for ourselves and for you. Tune in to hear us discuss the following ideas:1- Acting from your values not from your mood2- Doing something familiar3- Doing something wild and different 4- Looking to a non art source5- Engaging with other artists work6- Working it out in communityJoin our creative community here: https://www.thehealthyartist.com/

In this week we interviewed Lydia Figes. Lydia is a writer, editor and art historian who is currently curator of digital at Contemporary Art Society. Lydia has just released her debut book called Survival Notes, Life Lessons From Contemporary Artists in which she interviews established artists from all areas of the art world on topics such as art education, self-discipline, gallery representation and mental well-being. We loved chatting to Lydia and reading Survival Notes. We really appreciated the wisdom and insights she shared in this conversation alongside her new book. Make sure to buy and check it out. To subscribe to our newsletter or support us through Kofi please visit out website.Thank-you friends x

This week we had the chance to talk online with artist Damaris Athene, on the verge of her first major London commercial solo exhibition. We talked with Damaris about her recent successes and opportunities that have come out of committing an intense amount of time to her practice, but also the other side of success - how running on the treadmill of the art world has caused burn out, unhealthy practices and losing sight of what its all about. This was a real honest interview and we hope it resonates with you all. D+M Sign up to our newsletter here: https://www.thehealthyartist.com/

Its easy to believe that the 'Art World' is all nepotism, privilege or pretentious nonsense - and to get stuck in a space of frustration about the whole damn thing. But what might a reframing of this idea, or this place, look like? This week we challenged ourselves to define what the art world is, and how we might work to make it the kind of art world we want to be in.

Episode 16 is out now!! This week Martha, co-host of The Healthy Artist, interviewed Ocki Magill, founder and director of Blue Shop Gallery in South London. We spoke about subjects such as her ethos as a gallery, their journey so far, the power of creative community and her hopes for the future.If you would like to support us, it is greatly appreciated. You can do so through Kofi: https://ko-fi.com/thehealthyartistIf you would like to sign up to our bi-monthly newsletter for more insights sign up here at the bottom of our website: https://www.thehealthyartist.com/  

Part 02 of our two part episode looking at the amazing Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland. We chose another four quotes that resonated deeply with us and hopefully will with you too! 

This week we are taking a deep dive into 'Art Fear' the amazing book by David Bayles and Ted Orland. The book is all about why and how art gets made, but also why it doesn't, and what makes so many artists give up along the way. We share some of our favourite quotes and discuss how they have been influential in how we approach our practice. 

This week we spoke with Adela Blanco, curator, art promoter and director of Blanco Gallery in London. She took us on her journey from Venezuela to London, via Paris and how she built herself into a curatorial practitioner, who puts community and inclusivity first. Adela talks about how she keeps up the practice of being a 'Healthy Curator' when doubt creeps in, and shares her mantras for keeping going into a strange art world. Enjoy! 

This week we interview Vincent Hawkins, an artist who lives and works in Margate. Vincents work throughout his career has been extensive and varied, very much believing in the power of experimentation and play in the studio and in the way he exhibits works. We really enjoyed getting to know Vincent’s journey and process more. We hope you enjoy.

In this weeks episode we interviewed Artist Adolphus Washington. Adolphus is a New Yorker who lives and works in London. As a lover of history and politics, his work captures the culture and sensibility of the Black American experience. He works primarily with collage, believing it to be the most democratic medium that best embodies the improvisatory nature of Black American culture. We enjoyed getting to know more about the work and the influences behind Adolphus as a maker, we hope you enjoy.

Its episode 10! In celebration of this milestone we reached out a bunch of artists to ask them all for the quote that keeps them going when all seems lost. Gathered here is a collection of all those recordings into one episode, something to come back to when your self doubt is high and you need a creative refresh. Enjoy! 

How do we retain joy and curiosity as artists? In this episode we interview Yolanda Shields aka Milktooth, an artist and educator who generously shares with us their process of dealing with Complex-PSTD through their hands. A few of the things we discussed were the importance of understanding the function of your art as an individual, the barriers that Yolanda has faced as an artist and the important work they do with the community. They were full of wisdom and humour, we hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did!  You can see all our episodes on our website thehealthyartist.com, sign up for our newsletter, and buy us a cup of tea on our ko-fi donation page. Thank you all for listening! M+D

This week we had the absolute privilege of interviewing Zarina Muhammad and Gabrielle de la Puente, known collectively as The White Pube. Together the White Pube have been publishing cutting edge, experimental art and cultural criticism for almost a decade, which has recently culminated in them writing the critically acclaimed full length book: 'Poor Artists'. Zarina and Gabrielle’s book, Poor Artists follows aspiring artist Quest Talukdar on her journey into the art world. They blend imaginative storytelling with real life narrative from anonymous interviews and autobiography. Its written that Poor Artists is a powerful testimony to the emotional, existential and financial experience of artists today and we couldn’t agree more. We laughed and we cried — we were so honoured to chat to them today about their journey. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did! 

Part two of delving into the art rules of Sister Corita Kent, sometimes known as the pop art Nun. In collaboration with her students, she came up with the ten rules of the art school, asking them to re-imagine what a learning environment could be.You can watch a great documentary of Corita's work hereAnd you can see her work hereOur new website is now live! You can see all our episodes, sign up for our newsletter, and buy us a cup of tea on our ko-fi donation page. Thank you all for listening! M+D

What does it mean to find a place you trust as a creative? How do we allow the studio to be remain a space of experimentation with all the outside noise of capitalism? In this weeks episode we delved into the work and teachings of Sister Corita Kent, sometimes known as the pop art Nun. Sister Corita was an artist, activist and arts educator as well as a practicing Nun. She became the head of the art department at the Immaculate Heart College in California in the 1960's, where in collaboration with her students, she came up with ten rules of the art school, asking them to re-imagine what a learning environment could be. This is a 2 part episode, the second will be released next week. Our new website thehealthyartist.com is now live! You can see all our episodes here, sign up for our newsletter, and buy us a cup of tea on our ko-fi donation page. Thank you all for listening! M+D

What does it look like to lean into uncertainty in your practice and art career? In this episode we interview Betsy Bradley, an artist whose gorgeous paintings and installations embrace patience and impermanence. Betsy generously shared her journey of navigating being an artist living with chronic illness, and how she has kept on the journey when all seemed impossible.Our new website thehealthyartist.com is now live! You can see all our episodes here, sign up for our newsletter, and buy us a cup of tea on our ko-fi donation page. Thank you all for listening! M+D

For many creatives navigating the landscape of social media feels totally disorienting. Share work for ourselves or to please the mystical algorithm? Pour hours into creating behind the scenes studio videos, or abandon the whole damn thing all together? In this episode we discuss the joys and sorrows of using social media as an artist, looking at the science and psychology behind compulsive scrolling, and reframing our relationship to social media based on our vales, not the metrics. 

What does it mean to be 'successful' as an artist? We hear so often that being 'full-time', making all our money from our creative work, or each piece being better than the last, is true creative success. But what if we've got that all wrong? In this episode Martha and Dan tackle four 'myths' on what it means to be a successful artist. Deconstructing ideas of perceived wealth, pushing against the toxic frame-works of the art world that limit access for many, and reframing success as an everyday 'habit', not a goal. 

What does it mean to live in line with your values as an artist? How does knowing your personal values shape the work you make and opportunities you aim for? In this episode we interview artist Dan Curtis, and hear his thoughts on aligning your creative practice with your value system. Not comparing your journey to others, as we navigate the many toxic spaces of the creative industries. 

How do I practice being a Healthy Artist? Is it even possible? In our first episode we hear from artist Martha Lamont about what she thinks it means to be a 'Heathy Artist'. We hear about letting go of the illusion of control in your art practice, working from where your nervous system is not on fire, and becoming stable enough to make and think clearly. Maintaining balance against the backdrop of art world challenges, toxic thought processes, and stress about financial success.