She Wanted to Be a Supreme Court Justice. Until One Class Changed Everything.

About this episode

C. Finley shares her journey from aspiring Supreme Court Justice to successful artist, discussing the pivotal moment that changed her life.

What does it take to walk away from everything you thought you wanted? Artist C. Finley knows. She was pre-law, headed for the Supreme Court, until one semester cracked her wide open and changed the entire trajectory of her life. Today she's a renowned muralist, large-scale painter, and the force behind the Every Woman Biennial — but the path here was anything but straight. In this episode of The Messy Parts, Finley gets honest with Maryam about identity collapse, creative risk, inconsistent ...

People in this episode

Host: Maryam Banikarim

Guest: C. Finley

Topics covered

• identity
• career change
• art
• personal growth
• creative risk

Keywords

• Supreme Court
• artist
• muralist
• Every Woman Biennial
• identity collapse

More episodes of The Messy Parts

• Ed Sheeran, Pizza Rat & Getting Hacked: Rick McGuire on Running Subway Creatures and Loving New York · June 8, 2026 · 40 min
• "I Don't Know How to Balance All of This": Faherty Co-Founder Kerry Docherty on Business, Marriage, and Choosing Yourself · June 1, 2026 · 40 min
• She Was Called “Dumb.” Now Assia Grazioli-Venier Invests Millions in Women’s Health. · May 25, 2026 · 43 min
• Her Mother and Grandmother Said Nothing. Belle Burden Broke the Silence. · May 18, 2026 · 47 min
• Bevy Smith Climbed the Ladder, Looked Around — and Jumped Off · May 11, 2026 · 46 min
• Joanna Coles: The Career Advice Feminism Never Gave You · May 4, 2026 · 41 min