Ironing fabric for zipper pouches while I catch you up on my creative week.

My podcast has had a lot of lives. First it was Maya Tried It, then Ladies at the Round Table, then just me talking about myself (which never quite felt right). Now it finally has a through line: conversations with creatives about when they gave themselves permission to show up and call themselves an artist. Three interviews in, I'm learning as much about myself as about my guests.

In this episode:

• Why this podcast finally has a direction
• Building the interview pipeline, from application to recording
• Being stuck in the middle of Echo Weaver (book three) and starting a new craft book to come at it fresh
• Jon's reminder to pace myself (he's not wrong)
• Canceling live TV, Ted Lasso reviews, and why women-led shows keep getting cut
• Survivor check-ins with my son
• The Bone Maker, our new book club read, and why it might be the older-heroine fantasy I've been looking for
• Why the car is my quiet place

Mentioned:

• Make Your Story Matter by Abbie Emmons
• The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst
• Ted Lasso, The Residence, Survivor

Come hang out:

• Be a guest on The Makings of an Artist: https://mayagouliard.substack.com/p/become-a-guest-makings-of-an-artist
• Join the Wise Woman's Fantasy Book Club on Discord: https://discord.gg/tQZrHm8YWC
• Start the Chroma series with Waterweaver: https://a.co/d/2tl8Unz
• Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@mayagouliard
• Website: https://mayagouliard.com

New interviews every Monday. Solo check-ins every Thursday.

Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: GTMONRQODAVCGBYM

The Makings of an Artist: Jennifer Rabbitt on Encaustic Art, Self-Doubt, and Finding Your Creative Identity
Maya Gouliard launches The Makings of an Artist with her longtime friend Jennifer Rabbitt, an encaustic artist. Jennifer shares how she came to call herself an artist, why she stepped away from painting, the challenge of selling fine art, and what it takes to keep creating despite doubt and disappointment.
In this episode:

• Jennifer's artistic family, her degrees in textiles and fine art, and switching her college focus to photography
• How encaustic art uses beeswax, damar resin, pigments, heat, and sometimes a torch to create layered work
• Rejecting the dark, depressing art style of the early 1990s for bright, colorful work instead
• The long process of claiming the identity of "artist," even after years of formal training
• Her first gallery show, a Valentine-themed exhibition, and the artist friendship it led to even without a sale
• The blurry line between fine art and craft
• Pricing artwork by materials, size, time, and experience, including a $5,000 large piece
• Why family and emotional value can matter more than price
• Self-doubt, minimalism, and "a lot of paintings fail, let them"
• Her goal of finishing one studio piece by year's end and reaching $50,000 in annual sales

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to The Makings of an Artist
01:31 Jenn's artistic family and creative education
05:40 Learning to call yourself an artist
08:37 What is encaustic art?
10:59 Jenn's first gallery show, and why it still counted
13:20 The real struggle: selling and marketing your art
19:57 Fine art vs. craft, pricing, and legacy pieces
26:51 Minimalism, self-doubt, and letting art fail
37:12 Imagining a full-time art life, and creative overwhelm
42:27 Selling, color, and Jenn's $50K goal
49:42 How do you know you're an artist?
52:17 Where to find Jenn's work, and what's next

Notable Quotes:
"If you're doing work some creative way and you like what you're making, I think you're an artist."
"A lot of paintings fail. Let them."

Mentioned in this episode:
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
Savvy Painter Podcast with Antrese Wood
"Wax on Wednesdays" encaustic fusing demos, Shari Replogle (YouTube)
"Encaustic Painting Tips: Fusing for a Smooth Surface," R&F Paints (YouTube)
Art Pricing Calculators:
https://www.artspainter.com/art-pricing-calculator/
https://everycalculators.com/art-price-calculator.html

Find Jennifer: Instagram @jennifer_rabbitt_art

About Maya:
Maya Gouliard is a fantasy author, artist, and community organizer based in Rantoul, Illinois. Writing under Calmillusion Press, she grew into art and writing later in life, asking herself the same question this show explores: am I really an artist, and who gets to decide that?

Find Maya:
Website: mayagouliard.com
Instagram: @mayagouliard
TikTok: @mayagouliard
Substack: mayagouliard.substack.com
Discord: discord.gg/tQZrHm8YWC

Want to be a guest?
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdtAAhviHsDI6Zlk-Y4R5OxgEdOwE5R_dBN-YYJAt79bH_GyA/viewform

What am I waiting for permission to begin?

In this episode I’m thinking through something I realized writing this week’s Daily Think - I’ve been waiting for permission my whole life without ever actually asking for it.

Read the original Daily Think → https://substack.com/@mayagouliard

Visit my website → https://www.mayagouliard.com

Read Waterweaver free on Kindle Unlimited → https://a.co/d/0b9YWFJw

Join the community → https://discord.gg/cU2YENEYQH

#mayadailythink #dailythink #midlifeauthor

Maya is building a creative life in public, one book, handmade project, interview, and imperfectly assembled setup at a time. If you've ever wanted to make something meaningful, start later in life, or turn your creativity into more than a passing hobby, this episode is your invitation to begin.

In this one, Maya shares what's coming next for the show: the color-coded worlds she's building around her vlogs, indie author business, crocheting and sewing projects, fantasy book club, and writing life, plus a first look at a new interview series she's developing to uncover the real stories behind creative work. What people show online. What gets left out. Where their creativity began. And the moment they finally gave themselves permission to take their talent seriously.

You'll hear how Maya plans to explore:

• The difference between an online bio and the complicated creative life behind it
• Why starting a creative career at 48 or 50 can be just as powerful as knowing your path young
• The everyday routines, chaotic workflows, and feast-or-famine cycles of working creatives
• The small goals and big dreams that keep creative businesses moving
• Her Wise Women's Fantasy Book Club and its focus on older women as leads, not disposable side characters
• How sewing, crocheting, book sleeves, and other handmade projects fit into her evolving creative identity

This is more than a behind-the-scenes look. It's a candid reflection on building something slowly, accepting the messy parts, and recognizing that creativity does not have an expiration date. Maya is still figuring out the lighting, equipment, and format, but the larger decision is already made: she's giving herself permission to create consistently and let the work stay discoverable.

Perfect for writers, artists, makers, book lovers, aspiring creators, and anyone who's ready to stop waiting for the perfect moment. Welcome to Maya's chaotic-good creative world.

Discord Channel Link: https://discord.gg/6BkEQ857zF

Website : www.mayagouliard.com

This week I discuss in my plog (podcast log lol) how all of my many life experiences are coming together to support me in creating a local creatives cooperative. Working to help us sell our creative works and have community connections. I discuss a bit about the importance of building a local following as an indie author to build up the algorithm.

As usual, a little all over the place, but that is who I am. Glad you are here for it!

Want to join my discord community?

https://discord.gg/tQZrHm8YWC

Plans to make podcasts better in the future?

* Create a better background for video

* Look at camera better

* Be more aware when the mic is rumbling to create background noise (sorry about that late in this one.)

* I am sure there is more, but I am taking baby steps here.

Thanks for joining me!

I’m recording on my phone and uploading to Substack on my phone. Will this work?

Today I’m talking about ADHD and social media, why I keep building systems and then not following through, the whole many-platforms problem, and why I’m just starting to record anyway and figuring it out as I go.

If you want to follow along: find me at mayagouliard.com or subscribe