
Make Order Out of Chaos: Maira Kalman on Living with Purpose and Meaning, Surrounding Yourself with Beauty, and Surviving with a Sense of Humor
From Thank You, Mama by Ana Tajder
May 12, 2026 · 47 min · Episode 189
About this episode
Maira Kalman discusses her mother's journey to self-discovery and the importance of living with purpose and humor.
American artist, illustrator, writer, and designer Maira Kalman , author of Women Holding Things , Sara Berman's Closet , and many other illustrated books, talks about her Belarus-born Jewish mother, Sara. After leaving her husband in Tel Aviv, Sara began a new life in New York — and, at 60, finally found her true identity, and her happiest self. From Sara, we learn about making order out of chaos, surrounding ourselves with beautiful things, trusting our own vision instead of seeking outside approval, and living with meaning, purpose, and humor. To learn more about Maira and her work, visit her website here . Subscribe to Ana's new "Mama Loves…" newsletter here . To contact Ana, to be a guest, or suggest a guest, please send your mail to: info@thankyoumama.net For more about "Thank You, Mama", please visit: http://www.thankyoumama.net Connect with Ana on social media: https://www.instagram.com/anatajder/ https://www.facebook.com/ana.tajder
People in this episode
Host: Ana Tajder
Guest: Maira Kalman
Topics covered
- purpose
- identity
- art
- humor
- beauty
- Jewish culture
Keywords
- Maira Kalman
- Sara Berman
- identity
- art
- humor
- Jewish culture
- beauty
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Thank You, Mama
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