My Art is My Voice

What happens when your creative life starts to feel overwhelming?

In this episode of My Art is My Voice, Rebecca, Tom, and Brecken Stockmar talk about burnout, stepping back, and the quiet moments when artists need to reset—not as a strategy, but as survival.

Together, they explore: – Creative burnout and emotional overload – Letting go of pressure and expectations – Reconnecting with your love for making – Why doing less might actually matter more

Sometimes the most honest thing an artist can do… is pause.

Find Brecken Stockmar: https://bakercreekceramics.com/brecken-stoc...

What happens when your art starts to feel like pressure instead of expression?

In Episode 19 of My Art is My Voice, we talk honestly about identity, expectations, and staying connected to your creative voice without getting pulled into hustle culture.

A grounded conversation about making art in a way that still feels like yours.

🧸 Barnaby The Persnickety Bear Knitting and Sewing Patterns By Rebecca Danger https://www.etsy.com/shop/dangercrafts/

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In Episode 17, we explore what it means to be a handmade artist in an increasingly digital world.

Is crafting still relevant? Should artists follow happiness—or stay rooted in their values?

This honest conversation dives into creativity, identity, and finding your place as an artist in a rapidly changing world.

What does it actually mean to be an artist?

In this episode, we unpack the stories we’ve been told about success, identity, and what “counts” as real art. From gallery expectations to personal pressure, we question whether the label even matters anymore.

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📌 New episodes every week

instagram @myartismyvoicepodcast

email myartismyvoicepodcast@gmail.com

Rebecca Danger's Website: rebeccadanger.com

Tom Ferry's Website: tomferrystudio.com

#artistlife #creativeprocess #whatisaqartist #artpodcast #creativity #authenticart #makeart #artistmindset #creativejourney #indieartists

What if the problem isn’t your art—but the system you’re trying to fit it into?

In this episode of My Art is My Voice, we talk about the reality of being an artist in a world driven by algorithms and online visibility.

We discuss: – Why posting online can feel like “screaming into the void” – The disconnect between the quality of your work and what gets seen – The pressure to turn art into content – And how building your own creative world might matter more than chasing the algorithm

This is an honest conversatio...

Episode 14 of My Art is My Voice is an honest look at what creativity actually feels like—when it’s not flowing.

We talk about the reality that creativity doesn’t just “turn on,” and how sometimes it takes days of showing up before anything clicks. Tom shares how he has to sell himself on an idea before it comes alive, and Rebecca talks about the tension between creating for joy and the pressure to turn it into something shareable.

This episode explores:

Why creativity comes and goes

The hidden work behind eve...

Most people think being an artist is about talent, inspiration, or creativity.

It’s not.

In this episode, we talk about the part no one really prepares you for—the middle. The repetition. The patience. The moments where nothing feels like it’s working, but you keep showing up anyway.

Tom shares what learning clay is teaching him about control, timing, and letting go.

Rebecca talks about the tension between creating art and running a business—and how easy it is to feel like you “did nothing” even when you did everything...

What does it really take to grow as an artist—while still dealing with self-doubt, business challenges, and the pressure to keep showing up?

In this episode of My Art is My Voice, Rebecca Danger and Tom Ferry talk honestly about the messy middle of being a working artist.

From learning new mediums and navigating creative identity, to the realities of selling art and building a business online, this conversation explores what it looks like to keep going—even when things feel uncertain.

In this episode:

What if you spent years making beautiful art and never thought it was good enough to show anyone?

In their first ever interview episode, Rebecca and Tom sit down with artist Lori VanEtta for a conversation full of warmth, laughter, and a few things that will quietly stay with you.

Lori has taught art across schools and studios, including to people living with dementia — and what she learned about creativity in those rooms will shift something in you. She assembled a body of work, convinced it wasn't ready, until a mentor pushed her toward galleries. Sh...

Bots, burnout, clay, and knitting. Tom and Rebecca get real about control, creative exhaustion, and why some days you just feel like Eeyore.

This week on My Art is My Voice, we’re talking about the real, unfiltered experience of being a full-time artist.

From farmers markets and art walks…

to gallery shows and festival rejections…

This is what it actually looks like to build a life in art.

We dive into:

– The ups and downs of selling at markets and shows

– Getting accepted into festivals… and rejected the next year

– The reality of building (and rebuilding) an art career

– The business skills no one tells you th...

What if the words you say to yourself are shaping your reality more than you realize?

In this episode of My Art is My Voice, Rebecca Danger and Tom explore the idea of “spell casting”—how everyday language like “I’m not good enough,” “I don’t have time,” or “I’m so clumsy” can quietly influence your creativity, your confidence, and your life as an artist.

They talk about the balance between positive and negative self-talk, the difference between feeling awkward vs anxious, and what it really means to “just show up” even when it’s uncomfortable.

T...

What is art actually worth—and who gets to decide?

In this episode of My Art is My Voice, Rebecca and Tom explore the many layers of value in a creative life—from bartering and trading artwork to selling it, sharing it, and being judged by it.

This conversation moves through the realities of being a full-time artist: – Trading art vs. selling it – The ups and downs of making a living creatively – How we judge art—and how we feel judged by our own work – Comparing your work to what you see online

They also...

Art Is Trifficult (Why Making Isn’t Easy)

What if the challenge of making art isn’t something to avoid—but something to understand?

In this episode of My Art is My Voice, Rebecca and Tom explore the idea of “trifficult”—a word that captures the strange balance between things being both tricky and difficult at the same time.

This conversation moves through the real experience of being an artist:

– Why work that comes easily doesn’t always feel valuable

– The difference between adding and subtracting in different mediums...

What happens in the middle of the creative process—when the excitement fades, the work becomes repetitive, and you’re not quite sure where it’s going?

In this episode of My Art is My Voice, Rebecca and Tom explore what they call the middle muddle—that in-between space where most of the real work happens.

This conversation moves through the many layers of being an artist:


– The repetition and uncertainty that show up in the middle


– The vulnerability of sharing your work—and the fear that comes with it


– The tension betw...

The Ugly Middle (And Why Most Artists Quit Here)

What happens after the beginning—when the excitement wears off and you’re left in the long, uncertain middle of making?

In this episode of My Art is My Voice, Rebecca Danger and Tom Ferry reflects on what they call the ugly middle—that stretch of the creative process where doubt, frustration, and second-guessing tend to take over.

This conversation explores the internal side of making art: – The tendency to create emotional drama while creating – The challenge of making work for yourself (not for approval...

What does it actually take to make money as an artist—and is it worth it?

In this episode, we get into the real experience of selling art, starting with a recent pet portrait commission inspired by Rebecca’s two dogs. From there, the conversation opens up into the bigger picture: what it means to create for someone else, how commissions can challenge your process, and the pressure that comes with putting a price on your work.

We also talk honestly about galleries, art shows, and markets—the time, energy, and emotional investment they require, and wh...

When art, money, and self-worth collide.

What is the real cost of making art and how much of that cost is tied to how we see ourselves?

In this Episode, we talk about self worth, transactional value and the pressure to turn creativity into income. From trying to pay the bills with art to not feeling "good enough," this is an honest conversation about the tension between creating freely and creating to survive.

We explore what it means to make choices as an artist, whether you're actively creating your life or letting it...

What does it actually mean to live as an artist today?

In this first episode, we sit down over coffee with Rebecca Danger and Tom Ferry to talk honestly about the creative life. From the fear of putting yourself out there to the reality of Burnout, this is a real conversation about what it takes to keep showing up.

We talk about finding your voice through art, why you don't have to hustle to be an artist, and the challenge of trying to make money while staying true to your work.

If you've...