Thrive and Survive

Event planner and stylist, Klara Jones, talks about how her creative passions have shifted over time, the steps she took to launch her business and how she has adjusted to increasing competition in her industry.

My guest is textile artist, Cat from Cat Rabbit. We talk about how her designs have changed over the years, how she creates the little worlds her sculptures live in and the direction she wants to take her art in the future.

Jewellery designer and maker, Molly Coombs Marr, talks to me about her love of Australiana, how she feels about social media and how she has refined her ‘working from home’ routine over the years.

My guests in this episode are the founders and artistic directors of Tooth and Sinew Theatre, Richard Hilliar and Nicole Wineberg. We talk about what it is like working together as a couple, how they select and produce new shows and how they are making the most of self-isolation to develop new ideas, support artists and continue creating.

My guest is writer and actor, Cat Lonsdale. We talk about what it is like working in Australia VS Canada (where she is now), her creative processes in both writing and acting as well as how she maintains a strong and positive mindset in a sometimes uncertain industry.

My guest today is ceramic artist and co-owner of Elph Store, Eloise Rankine. We talk about how Elph store came to be, her design process and what drew her to ceramics in the first place.

I have a chat with Curious Studios founder, Gen Maroussis about where the idea for Curious came from, how she balances it with her full time work load and how important creativity is in every day life.

In this episode I speak with actor, producer and fellow podcaster, Rachel Baker. We talk about how she came up with the idea for her podcast ’Don’t be So Dramatic’, the habits and rituals she has developed to maintain her acting skills and the process she went through to discover what kind of actor and artist she wanted to be.

An interview with Ali Taylor, founder of Listen Up. We talk about the connection between music and mental health, how the charity has grown over the years and the how, why and when of his debut mental health music festival, TorchFest.

My guest today is founder of Magnolia’s Art Class, Rosie Kramer. We talk about how she came up with the idea of an all nude art class, the impact she wants her work to have and the importance of art and creativity in managing mental health.

I sit down with illustrator, Carmen Hui, and talk about how she transitioned her work from a hobby to a job, how she sets boundaries for her creative workload and her plans for the future.

I speak with photographer and videographer, Byron Martin, about what he loves about his work, how he built his networks in the industry and he gives some insight into how he prices his work as a freelancer.

I speak with burlesque performer, Lou P Scarlett about her start in the industry, how she develops her acts and what her creative vision is for her career.

In this episode I speak with writer and actor, Jordy Fulcher. We talk about how she discovered her love of writing through acting, how she found herself in the Sydney Theatre Company’s Emerging Writers Group and the messages she wants to bring awareness to through her work.

We talk about how Saint found his way into rapping from comedy , the steps he took to develop his skills and how things have changed since signing his first record deal.

I talk to paper cutting artist, Claire Cassidy about where her business, Studio Flos, started, how she transitioned from full time work into contract work to support her art and how she uses her art to spread important messages she believes in.

In this episode with Bernie Van Tiel we talk about how she found her way into beatboxing and acting, the impact she wants her creative work to have and how her artistic style has grown and developed since she first started.

My guest today is illustrator and tattooist, Rochelle Buckely. We talk about how she transitioned from the corporate world into tattooing, the importance of creativity throughout her life and how she overcame her fear to pursue her artistic goals.

In this episode I talk to Jeff McCann about developing his artistic brand, building his suite of products and services and the challenge of creating art out of recycled items.

In this week's episode I sit down and talk with illustrator and artist Thomas Jackson! We talk about his his fascination with nature and the environment, how he balances commercial and personal projects and his career journey leading up to full time freelancing.

My guest today is the artistic director of SheShakespeare, Shelley Casey. We talk about the story behind SheShakespeare, how her interests have shifted from acting to directing and how she balances running her own business with a full time job.

I talk with freelance illustrator, Ginger Taylor, about how she transitioned from a full time job into full time freelancing, the changes she’s made in her life to enhance her creativity and how she's embraced social media to showcase her work and connect with fellow artists.

In this episode I sit down and chat with opera singer, Leon Vitogiannis. We talk about his fascination with classical music, how important his very first teachers were in forming his career path and how he works through setbacks and challenges by turning them into a positive opportunity for growth.

An interview with Peta Morris about the development of her upcoming one woman show, the different ways she expresses herself through art and the importance of encouraging creativity in kids.

My guest today is Timothy Jackson aka Timberlina. We talk about how he initially got discovered drag, how he has worked to rebuild the queer community in his neighbourhood and how his company, Timber Productions has grown in the last two years.

I talk with actor and artist, Alexandra Plim about the similarities between performance and painting, how she discovered and developed her passion for expressionist abstract art and the different ways she is growing her network and building her portfolio.

I sit down with writer and teacher, Jordan Shea, and talk about how his writing has developed over time, how building and maintaining a strong support network has opened doors for him and how he found his way into teaching.

In this episode, I talk with Steph and Al from Chicken and Chips Casting. We talk about how and why they launched Chicken and Chips, what it's like working together as friends as well as their advocacy for diversity, inclusion and representation in film and tv.

I sit down with artist and founder of Nauti Studios, Nat Cheney. We talk about how she developed her skills as an artist, how she launched and built Nauti Studios from scratch and how she balances her business with her personal art projects.

I talk to natural fibre artist, Catriona Pollard, about how this work came into her life, the process of creating these structures and how she grounds herself whilst balancing two full time jobs.

In this episode I talk with Venezuelan-born, Sydney based artist, Marisabel Gonzalez. We talk about how she found the connection between medicine and art and how it informs her work, the difference between the Australian and Venezuelan art communities and the different ways she approaches a blank canvas.

I sit down with owner of Nudge Theatre, Emily Beale, and we talk about how she has dealt with transition phases throughout her career, how she learnt to run a business from scratch and how her passions and work integrate to create meaning for those she teaches and performs for.

In this episode I sit down with Graphic Designer Aimee Chappell and we talk about balancing full time work with freelance work, the importance of art making social commentary and the impact of social media in the freelancing community.

This week I speak with Stephanie Gray, a Sydney-based Illustrator who creates whimsical pieces of art, each with a special story behind it. We talk about managing the dynamics of working with a partner, the importance of nostalgia in her art and the ins and outs of how she built her business, Erlenmeyer.

In this episode I talk to artist Gemma Rasdall about about her transition into being a full time artist, the double-edge sword of anxiety as a creative and how she balances her finances so she can focus on her art and still pay the bills.

In this episode I talk with Sydney-based, French actor, Mathilde Anglade about her move from corporate to creative, the role spirituality plays in her art and the difference between Australian and French hustling.

Sydney-based ceramicist, Louise Martiensen discusses how she transitioned from free to paid work, how she is a nice boss to herself and how she overcomes procrastination.

In the first episode of Thrive and Survive, I chat with Luisa Galloway and Amy Sole from Puddle or Pond Theatre. We chat about why they started an independent theatre company, how they overcome fear and the importance of storytelling. Follow their adventures at www.puddleorpond.com or follow them on facebook @Puddleorpondtheatreco. Follow Thrive and Survive on Facebook @thriveandsurvivepodcast