Zuzu's Haus of Cats Presents...

In the Season 2 finale, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with my dear friend Marianne Power, author of the international bestseller Help Me! and her latest book Love Me!. It was such a joy to dive deep into her incredible journey from journalist to bestselling author. Marianne shared the story behind both her books - from her year-long experiment living by self-help books that became Help Me!, to her courageous exploration of sexuality, relationships, and what it means to live happily as a single woman in Love Me!.What struck me most about our conversation was Marianne's raw honesty about the cost of creating vulnerable art. She didn't shy away from discussing how terrifying it was to write about her most intimate experiences, from her sexual insecurities to her journey through tantra retreats. We talked about the difficulty of accepting praise, the inherited shame around sexuality, and how her Irish Catholic background shaped her relationship with both pleasure and success. Her courage in tackling the subjects that society tells us not to discuss - and doing so with such humour and humanity - is truly remarkable.This conversation was a beautiful reminder of why I love doing this podcast - getting to witness the magic that happens when artists are brave enough to tell their truth, and how that courage ripples out to help others feel less alone in their own struggles.✍ Read the full show notes here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/journal/ep19-marianne-power💌 Never miss an episode - sign up here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://zuzushausofcats.com/keepintouch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎶 Music by the incredible Caspar Riis: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Used with permission.

In this episode, I sit down with Gabriella Buckingham, a British contemporary painter known for her experimental still life and intuitive landscape work. Gabriella's journey from graphic design student to successful fine artist is anything but conventional - after initially studying graphic design, she made an emotional plea to switch to illustration, launched a greeting card business that swiftly turned into what felt like a “sweatshop operation”, and eventually transitioned to fine art via a supermarket job during COVID!What makes Gabriella truly fascinating is her multifaceted practice that seamlessly weaves together art-making, teaching, and spiritual exploration. She runs online painting courses where she literally “speaks her brain” while demonstrating techniques, and writes weekly esoteric mailings covering astrology, tarot, and energy work. Gabriella's approach to both art and life is refreshingly intuitive.Perhaps most moving is Gabriella's openness about her spiritual connection to her work, including a profound experience with her guardian angel that shaped her business name: From a Place of Wonder. I loved this conversation and I’m sure you will too!✍ Read the full show notes here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/journal/ep17-gabriella-buckingham💌 Never miss an episode - sign up here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://zuzushausofcats.com/keepintouch⁠⁠⁠⁠🎶 Music by the incredible Caspar Riis: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Used with permission.

I'm absolutely delighted to share my conversation with Helen C. Stark, the brilliant artist behind The Time Foragers Club on Substack. Helen's journey from postnatal depression to successful artist is both inspiring and deeply moving - she discovered her love of creating again through a local art group that literally kept her alive during her darkest moments. From there, she built an illustration career that included creating the first Edinburgh colouring book, before eventually moving to Yorkshire where she stripped everything back to focus on what truly mattered to her: colour, joy, and the practice of noticing beauty in everyday life.What I find most captivating about Helen's work is how she's created this entire world around the concept of ‘time foraging’ - gathering moments of beauty and meaning from both the past and present. Her weekly visual journals are like love letters to the ordinary magic that surrounds us, from blackberry picking rituals inspired by her childhood in France to creating watercolours from earth pigments collected on beaches where the Brontës once walked. Her recent Ode to Charlotte collection, which sold out incredibly quickly, perfectly demonstrates how she weaves together historical inspiration, personal ritual, and artistic practice into something truly special.Helen's approach to creativity feels revolutionary in its simplicity - she's chosen to look for joy as a deliberate act of resistance against the darkness in the world. Through The Time Foragers Club, she's building a community of people who want to carve out time for creativity and noticing. Her story reminds us that being an artist is a lifelong practice of curiosity, play, and finding beauty in the most unexpected places.✍ Read the full show notes here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/journal/ep15-helen-c-stark💌 Never miss an episode - sign up here: ⁠⁠⁠https://zuzushausofcats.com/keepintouch⁠⁠⁠🎶 Music by the incredible Caspar Riis: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Used with permission.

In this episode, I sit down with Swedish watercolour artist, educator, and creative business coach Louise Stigell for an honest conversation about building a sustainable creative practice on your own terms.Louise's journey is one of transformation and intentional choice-making. After burning out from her career as a freelance writer and web designer in 2020, she rediscovered art as therapy and never looked back. What started as painting birds for healing became a thriving multi-faceted creative business that includes original artwork, YouTube content creation, online courses, and voice coaching for fellow creatives.Louise doesn't mince words about what she calls the "pornification of art" on social media platforms. We dive deep into why Instagram's highlight reel culture creates unrealistic expectations and how she's built her business primarily through YouTube and email marketing instead.From her game design background, Louise brings a fascinating perspective on gradually "levelling up" your comfort zone. We explore how she overcame social anxiety to start a YouTube channel and how that confidence translates across all areas of her creative practice.Finally, Louise offers invaluable advice about the tension between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation when you turn your art into your livelihood. She's refreshingly honest about the challenges of maintaining your love for your craft when it becomes your income source.✍ Read the full show notes here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/journal/ep13-louise-stigell💌 Never miss an episode - sign up here: ⁠⁠⁠https://zuzushausofcats.com/keepintouch⁠⁠⁠🎶 Music by the incredible Caspar Riis: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Used with permission.

In this episode, I sit down with the incredible Kyla Yager, a Toronto-based artist who has turned her ADHD into her creative superpower.Kyla creates what she calls "intuitive ADHD art" - maximalist, pattern-rich paintings that capture the energy and emotion of the moment. Her work is a celebration of neurodivergent experience, transforming the hyperactivity of her mind into stunning visual expressions that invite others to unmask and connect with their own authentic selves.Kyla shares how her artistic evolution mirrors her journey of unmasking her neurodivergence - from hyperrealistic portraits in her youth to the explosive, pattern-filled canvases she creates today. One of the most fascinating aspects of Kyla's practice is her love of live painting and speed competitions. She describes the rush of creating in front of audiences, how she channels the energy of a room into her work, and why performing whilst painting makes her feel most alive.We explore Kyla's belief that art speaks louder than words and how she uses her practice as both personal therapy and a tool for connecting with others. Her work creates safe spaces for people to explore their own emotions and experiences of otherness.✍ Read the full show notes here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/journal/ep11-kyla-yager💌 Never miss an episode - sign up here: ⁠https://zuzushausofcats.com/keepintouch⁠🎶 Music by the incredible Caspar Riis: ⁠⁠⁠https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis⁠⁠⁠. Used with permission.

This week I'm absolutely delighted to share my conversation with Tara Leaver, an artist and educator whose journey back to creativity after depression is both inspiring and deeply relatable.Tara and I first connected back in 2016, and what I've always loved about her approach is how she teaches the often-overlooked elements surrounding art-making - the mindset work, the process development, and crucially, how to find your own artistic voice rather than simply copying your teachers.In this episode, we dive deep into Tara's fascinating dual practice of making sea-inspired paintings in Cornwall whilst simultaneously supporting other creatives through courses and mentorship. She's refreshingly honest about the challenges of context switching between these two sides of her work.What really captivates me is how Tara translates her sensory experiences of swimming in the cold Cornish sea into her paintings. Her process is a beautiful marriage of visual reference and sensory memory. We also unpack her concept of the "Happy Artist" - which isn't about perpetual joy, but rather about being an artist within the full context of human life.As Tara puts it, we're not creating in bubbles; we're artists with lives that happen outside the studio, and acknowledging that context is crucial for sustainable creative practice.✍ Read the full show notes here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/journal/ep9-tara-leaver💌 Never miss an episode - sign up here: ⁠https://zuzushausofcats.com/keepintouch🎶 Music by the incredible Caspar Riis: ⁠https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis⁠. Used with permission.

We kick off season two of the pod with this gorgeous conversation with Andrea Schroeder, founder of the Creative Dream Incubator. What I love about Andrea is that she goes DEEP! She talks about doing the real work, the deep work, the kind that takes years and changes you from the inside out.We dive into some seriously meaty territory here. Andrea talks about learning to sit with self-doubt instead of bulldozing through it, and how that practice has made her unshakeable even when the world feels chaotic. She shares the difference between making art for approval versus accepting your creative expression as it is - because how you do one thing is how you do everything.But perhaps my favourite part is when Andrea talks about her hope project for 2025. In a world that feels increasingly scary and divided, she's filling an entire planner with hope. Sometimes painting, sometimes writing, just spending time thinking about hope and inviting others to do the same. It's such a beautiful act of resistance.We also talk about being ‘women of a certain age’ on the internet and the tension between wanting to show up authentically but also feeling the pressure to conform to conventional beauty standards. Andrea's take on being "dishevelled" right now (and questioning what's wrong with anyone who isn't) feels both permissive and incredibly sane.This conversation is for anyone tired of hustle culture who wants to build something sustainable that honours who you are. Fair warning though - Andrea's advice about going towards what you most want to avoid might be the most terrifying and necessary thing you hear all year.✍ Read the full show notes here: ⁠https://zuzushausofcats.com/journal/ep7-andrea-schroeder💌 Never miss an episode - sign up here: ⁠https://zuzushausofcats.com/keepintouch🎶 Music by the incredible Caspar Riis: ⁠https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis⁠. Used with permission.

You're in for an absolute treat with this episode! I had the utter joy of chatting with the phenomenal Rachel Allen - a writer, journalist, and memoirist who's as sharp as a tack and twice as insightful. Rachel and I dove headfirst into the glorious mess of creative writing, particularly when it comes to tackling sensitive subjects. We talked about everything from how she approaches writing about trauma (including her own) to the importance of treating every single person with compassion and humanity - even those society might deem 'unworthy'. I was utterly gobsmacked by Rachel's ability to find the humanity in everyone she encounters. She has this incredible knack for excavating stories from the most unexpected places - from prison guards to taxi drivers. We also chewed over the challenges of balancing honesty and authenticity in storytelling with respecting the privacy and feelings of those involved. And of course, we couldn't help but touch on the importance of self-care when dealing with heavy subjects. If you're fascinated by the human condition and love a good, juicy story (who doesn't?), then pop the kettle on and settle in for a listen. I promise you'll come away feeling inspired, uplifted, and maybe even a tad more compassionate towards your fellow humans. ✍ Read the full show notes here: https://www.elinortrierstudio.com/podcast/ep5-rachel-allen 💻 Visit Rachel's website here: https://www.rachelcatherineallen.com/ 💌 Never miss an episode - sign up for notifications here: https://www.elinortrierstudio.com/podcast 🎶 All music by the incredible Caspar Riis: https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis. Used with permission.