slow inside

Sonal Nathwani is an artist. She was born in Africa to Indian parents who fled to England to escape bad things in Africa. She grew up in England before moving to Belgium, Florence, and eventually, Vienna. Sonal Nathwani is old enough to know that it doesn’t matter what someone else tells you matters. That when you make art, what is most important, is that you make it for you, that you do it first, for yourself. Sonal has been making, selling, and teaching art full-time for over 20 years. Some things we talk about: ditching perfectionism for imperfect beauty creating, sharing, and selling art becoming your own person, your own artist, and making what you truly love

Ash Sierra dropped out of college her sophomore year to explore herbalism. She began making salves and tinctures for friends and family. It was never meant to be a business. Today Ash runs Ritual Botanica, a private consulting practice and a thriving business selling tinctures, salves, dried herbs, oils, teas with over than 55,000 followers on Instagram and customers all over the world. Some things we talk about: trying to be adult, losing herself, and getting found starting a business doing what she loved most – as impractical as it was how to tune into your guidance and depression, autonomy, and choosing your own life

Lanecia was born the daughter of a pastor. As a young adult, she chose to study divinity and become a pastor herself. But then, at 36 years-old. Lanecia found out she was pregnant. And, as many expecting moms do, she started to examine her life in preparation for parenthood. She began questioning things in the church she hadn’t questioned before, and she started to re-envision who she was and what was possible. And that is when Lanecia began the journey into life as a full-time artist. Here Lanecia shares her story as honestly as she does her art, her struggles with the church, her loss around her daughter, and her new life as a full-time artist who is finally free. Some things we talk about: being the daughter of a black pastor in an all-white world losing a baby girl and gaining a new life getting starting making art as you’re your full-time thing and leaping after your dreams no matter the scrapes and bruises

In three short years, painter Amira Rahim went from painting alone in her room to selling art in galleries and online, having licensing agreements, and being recognized the world over for her talent . Amira's work has been featured in The Huffington Post, Time Out, The Chicago Tribune, Ebony and in galleries and personal collections around the world. Amira spends every day living out her mission: using her art to make the world a more colorful place. Some things we talk about: how she built her business piece by piece, dealing with depression while building a huge art business and the need to lead – taking your followers where they want to go

“Honey-drenched maker, sister keeper, and gentle spirit badass mother fucker,” Jennette Nielsen, creates from just about anything to make just about everything. From goddess mugs to witches salves, from bags and hats to rattles, and inks, Jennette makes to mend and turns rubbish into beauty. When Jennette was four years old her step-father began sexually abusing her. He stopped when she was ten. Jennette found refuge in creating and today makes her living from the art that keeps her breathing. SOME THINGS WE TALK ABOUT… Using art to heal from long-term sexual abuse How having a baby freed her up to be totally honest How she “cobbles together an income” to make a living from making art and Making art without asking a single soul for permission

Addye Nieves is a self-taught visual artist, writer, and mental health advocate. Her work focuses on trauma, healing, and how both shape who we are and who we become. She “empowers women to transform brokenness in their lives into power and beauty, and amplifies the voices and experiences of those marked as Other in society.” This is her story from broke to beautiful. In this conversation we talk about: • the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father • how she made it through college while raising two kids as a single mom • finding painting and how painting saved her sanity • the path to becoming a self-taught full-time visual artist • learning to promote and sell her work • and the first thing anyone can do to help heal trauma through art

Actor, advocate, singer, and author, Kimberly Beaman, was diagnosed with dyslexia when she was five. She was humiliated, threatened, and segregated in school. By middle school, her self-esteem had plummeted. By high school, Kimberly was officially depressed. Today she runs her own company: Accessible Books for Children. Her first children's book, My Little Cupcake, is a book for all young learners but designed specifically for kids with dyslexia and other learning differences. In this conversation we talk about: her first emotional breakdown at 8 years old being bullied, threatened, and misunderstood finding healing through community and counseling ditching corporate life to be an entrepreneur and her first steps in a global vision for change

Muralist, Painter, and Performance Artist, Gregg Deal, makes art that is provocative and powerful. Work that explores themes of Indigenous identity, race relations, decolonization, and appropriation. As a marginalized artist in a Western art world, Gregg's work challenges our assumptions and beliefs about what it means to be Indian in America. In this conversation we talk about: Being bullied for being brown The role of identity in art and using it to find your own Taking the leap into life as a full-time artist without any safety net What it took for Gregg to find, and own, his voice and The balance between self-expression and honoring one’s culture

Leah Tumerman makes paintings on canvas, murals on walls, and drawings on paper. Her work explores what it means to be a woman through the lens of sisterhood and community, identity and belonging. And sometimes, loneliness. In this conversation, some things we talk about are: The struggle between fitting in and standing out The decision to never quit The loneliest period of her adult life Healing from an incredibly intense trauma and Her call to arms as a woman and an artist

Kesha decided she wanted to be an artist when she went to NYC at 15. She's making art ever since. In this conversation we talk about: What it’s like when no one understands your art and how to keep going in spite of it How Kesha survived being broke while attending fancy art school Losing her creative voice and what she did to find it again Being a full-time artist (while holding down a day job) and How Kesha wants to flip the art world on its head: making it accessible to all and meaningful for everyone