This is a very special episode because I didn't do just one interview, I interviewed a whole room full of fabulous artists at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Who, you ask? The great artists of tomorrow - ages 3 to 10! Brace yourself for inspirational, hilarious, cuteness overload.

Today's artsy investigation takes a look into the WHY and HOW behind "ART and JOY", and oh so much more. If you've ever wanted to write a book but aren't sure how to get started, or you're curious about why I made the jump from adult art books to kids' books, all of the answers await!

If you don't go big, do you have to go home? We're investigating this question, but that's not all. We'll also explore how to "level up" by reaching out for a bit of help ... specifically PR help. Since these are two pretty big questions, I've brought in TWO creative experts to help me crack this case!

Today's investigation is a two-parter ... A) When every day of the week feels too busy for creativity, how do you prevent freezing up when there is a window of time? And B) How do you know if/when your hobby could become your everyday jobby? I'll be joined by a creative expert to help me solve this one!

I'm kicking off my new series of podcast episodes! Rolling up my sleeves to investigate (and solve) the questions and concerns sent in by artists from my community. I am ON THE CASE ... (PS I'll be joined by a mystery guest, who's an expert on beauty, to weigh in on today's investigation.)

Some good old fashioned therapy from the doctor who's not actually a doctor. Andy J Pizza is BACK on the podcast to talk about ladders, dreams, and sweatpants. Seriously.

Hyperreal paintings and a comic strip about a pug named Mochi. That can only mean one thing - New York-based Spanish artist, Gemma Gene, is on the podcast!

From Betty White to Prince, she's photographed them all! American photographer, Mary Ellen Matthews, has been the in-house photographer at Saturday Night Live since 1999 ... but today, SHE'S in the spotlight.

This is Part 2 of my conversation with New York artist, Petah Coyne, about my solo show, post-opening!

I'm sharing a special preview of a podcast I've been enjoying, Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso, from Pushkin Industries. Talk Easy is a weekly interview podcast, where writer Sam Fragoso invites actors, writers, activists, and politicians to come to the table and speak from the heart in ways you probably haven't heard from them before. Driven by curiosity, he's had revealing conversations with everyone from George Saunders and Cate Blanchett to Ocean Vuong and Gloria Steinem. In this preview, Sam talks with performance artist Marina Abramović about her relationship to Ukraine, creating art out of hardship, the curiosity that propels her forward, and how her seminal piece, The Artist Is Present, lives on today. You can listen to Talk Easy at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/talkeasyears.

NYC artist, Petah Coyne, is interviewing me today, as my solo show "Self-Preservation" opens TONIGHT!

Color and cake in California. That can mean only one thing ... San Francisco based artist, Leah Rosenberg, is my guest today!

From articles in the New York Times and interviews on Oprah.com, to FIVE museums acquiring her textile portraits - Bahamian artist, Gio Swaby, is BACK on the podcast to talk about all of it!

Cheez doodles, chewed gum, and radioactive cats. That can only mean one thing ... American art icon, Sandy Skoglund, is sharing her stories from childhood till today!

We're talking about JOY ... finding it in the little things, bringing it into our artwork, and not letting the state of the world break us!

Tiny felted banana splits, and miniature pots of spaghetti coming to life through her absolutely mesmerizing stop-motion videos. Love ... Andrea Love!

Perfect white porcelain sculptures that look good enough to eat - but don't! Mad Brooklyn, AKA Jacqueline Tse and her trusty hound, Skylar, are on the podcast today.

An Estonian photographer in London who dresses her muse in bizarre fashion, and decorates her with fabulous hair and makeup. PS Her muse is her mother. Love!

Murals, solo exhibitions, installations, and more ... all from an art kid who believed she couldn't be an artist when she grew up.

Twists and turns, pivots, and more turns - that's how the story of Canadian painter, Celine Gabrielle, rolls out!

An artist, mother, and paint maker who, as a child, sat under the table at some of Canada's most important art events. Ojibwe artist Anong Beam is on the podcast!

Just a couple of girls from the Okanagan Valley talkin' about mountains ... and a whole bunch of other stuff! Canadian born, LA based artist Elyse Dodge is my final guest of this season.

Being stuck in a creative limbo ... and then following the breadcrumbs (or chip crumbs) back to our creative paths. Andy J. Pizza and I talk about creative ruts while eating pizza-flavored chips.

Coming off of a SOLD OUT show in New York, and preparing for her first solo museum show, Bahamian-born, Canada-based artist, Gio Swaby, is on fire! She also happens to be my fabulous and fun guest today.

Ceramics, stained glass, mushrooms, grandmothers, grief, and haircuts. Seattle-based artist Emily Counts and I cover all of this and more on today's episode.

I was highjacked! Yep, California based artist, illustrator, and artist interviewER, Carissa Potter Carlson, tried to ask alllll of the questions. Don't worry, I made her answer a few!

From a career in motion graphics to a brand new life as a ceramicist, painter, muralist, and most recently a children's book author/illustrator - the fabulous Kenesha Sneed is my guest today.

Ceramics dripping with glaze, sculpture you can wear on your hand, and golden crowns fit for bizarre royalty - American artist Anthony Sonnenberg is doing his first podcast interview (ever) with me today!

Today's chat is with the first artist I ever met ... on the day I was born! Yep, it's a Mother's Day episode with my mom, watercolor painter, Judi Cumming.

Nostalgia, hilarious stories, and bits of magic, all stuck together with tape and glue. Miniature sculpture maker / animator, Lydia Ricci, is my guest today.

Who better to have on the 2nd instalment of PAINT CHIPS than a junk-food-loving, artist consultant! My good friend Pennylane Shen is back on the podcast, this time with MORE CHEEZ TASTE!

For the 200th episode of AFYE, I'm handing the mic over to NYC sculptor, and my dear friend, Petah Coyne. She is interviewing ME today, and she wants to know if I "was an artsy kid"!

A few months after graduating from art school, her work graced the cover of TIME Magazine. Seriously. Trinidadian artist Nneka Jones is my guest today.

Artist and educator (aka head of the painting department at Cranbrook for 26 years!) Beverly Fishman shares her stories, insights, and "no-nonsense, rollup your sleeves 'n get to work" advice!

Digital art, cryptocurrency, millions of dollars at Christie's? I don't know, but if anyone can put the FUN in "Non-FUNgible Tokens", it's American artist Trey Speegle!

Change. I have a love/hate relationship with it, how 'bout you? This is a mini episode, filled with a few "deep thoughts" to bridge the old and the new.

Welcome to the first instalment of PAINT CHIPS ... two artists eating chips and talking about paintings? Yep! Martha Rich and I eating honey BBQ chips while chatting about painters, Leonor Fini and Amy Bennett.

Full-size, Baroque-inspired gowns ... made entirely from PAPER. What? Yes. Haitian-born, New York based artist (and mother of five!) Fabiola Jean-Louis is my guest.

Turning spoons into flowers, welding giant spiderwebs, and hanging out with Prince Charles on a barge to discuss a project for his mom's Diamond Jubilee. What? Yes. London artist, Ann Carrington, is my guest.

Insightful advice about inner critics ... and paper made from old jeans? Yep. American sculptor, Rebecca Hutchinson, is my guest.

Collage artist, meets street artist, meets photographer - AKA "a locative artist". Angela Gobbens cuts out little people, and then places them on/in alleys, window sills, meadows, puddles, and lakes!

Mixed media collages of Black boys and girls. Powerful, important work by Austin artist, Deborah Roberts. (Yes, I'm totally fan-girling over here!)

What happens when you give two over-sharers a podcast mic? THIS. From 9/11 to tablecloths draped over ourselves ... Philly-based artist, Sarah Detweiler, is my guest today.

Slowing down, embracing nature, being vulnerable, and eating cheese in the nude - Ashley Longshore is back to kick off 2021!

She wanted to be a fairy when she grew up. She nailed it! From tinsel-covered art you can wear to sparkly art you can sit on. Australian artist/designer Rachel Burke is my guest.

From childhood stories of beached whales to having her work acquired by MoMA, New York based sculptor Petah Coyne and I cover it all!

Painting with fabric. Insanely detailed, life-sized quilted portraits of African Americans lost to history. New Jersey based artist Bisa Butler is my guest today.

Embroidery and politics - turns out they're a perfect combination! Diana Weymar, the creator of the "Tiny Pricks Project" is my guest today.

A project born from the constraints of COVID-19 - found sticks from her back yard and the continuation of her embroidery-thread art practice - Natalie Ciccoricco is my guest.

This is the first episode of season no.5, and my guest is painter Ronald Jackson - a talented, insightful, self-taught artist who was also a member of the US military for two decades.

Artist, cartoonist, writer, and graphic novelist - from her early days in New York, to a hamster show in California - Mimi Pond is my guest today.

Creative breakthroughs thanks to water, abstraction and realism living in harmony, and a very open conversation about race. LA based painter Calida Rawles is my guest today.

Brass knuckles topped with huge chunks of quartz, and the power of being vulnerable. OK, now I want to be a sculptor, too. Debra Baxter is my guest today.

A career in advertising - where she worked with unrealistic images of women every day - led Amber Vittoria to create her own version of the female form. And she nailed it.

She was one exam away from becoming a dentist, and now she's covering everything from stretch marks to dining tables with glitter and crystals. Pakistani artist Sara Shakeel is my guest today.

Puppet shows, cloud paintings, and two little words that changed everything. Wayne White is on the podcast today.

Lemons into lemonade ... well, when life gave this artist cancer, she made an art residency for herself. In the hospital. Megan Krzmarzick is my guest.

Did you know that Elisa Valenti is not only an artist, she's also a pharmacist, bakes ridiculous kick-ass cakes, and is irrationally afraid of sharks? Yep, we cover all of that AND we talk about her journey as an artist too.

Both Esther and I have been feeling a little lost creatively lately, so we've got a new segment called, "Hey Mojo, Where'd Ya Go?". Can you relate? I bet you can.

For those of you who like the episodes that make you feel like you're eavesdropping on two artists in a cafe - pour yourself a cup, close your eyes, and pretend you're out at your favorite coffee shop listening to me and Martha.

I turned the interview over to you guys this time, asking the questions you wanted Ashley Longshore to answer - from pricing your artwork to vagacials ... seriously.

When in quarantine, interview your family! Art trivia, thoughts on one of my favorite collages from art history, and the not so speedy speed round ... times TWO. My son and husband are my guests today.

High school, trophies, pageant banners, and absolutely beautifully painted portraits, all rolled up into one old-school episode ... oh, and Brooke Shields blowing bubblegum bubbles.

A deeply personal story that has almost nothing to do with art.

Yep, she has that effect on people. Artist consultant, Pennylane Shen, is back and she's sharing the four biggest reasons people cry when she shows up in their studio.

Being self-taught isn't legit, everything's already been done, and the only work worth making just flows out of you. Yep, I'm busting more ridiculous creative myths with my friend, and creative guru, Andy J. Pizza.

An inspiring TED Talk, a portrait of Edgar Allan Poe made from 7000 earthworms, and a ripped up Bob Ross portrait for one of you! Phil Hansen is my guest.

A second installment of PAYNE POINTS WITH TERRENCE PAYNE. Today we're tackling the good, bad, and ugly around social media ... he'll also be telling us some insane stories about tattoos and potato chips, because he's Terrence Payne.

We planned to tackle the topic of art vs craft, which we attempted, but that also led us down some other pretty winding paths, like women in art and mothers as artists. Oh, and baby brain is legit.

Ashley Longshore is back, and she's getting us fired up for a new decade of creativity! We're talking about muses, her favorite artists at the moment, and building a team - and I think we might have invented a new religion!?

A mid-holiday mini-episode. I'm making lists, looking back on old lists, and giving away a little package of goodness!

Strange stories from art history told by one of my most favorite narrative painters. LA-based artist/teacher, Esther Pearl Watson, is my guest today.

Your questions answered by Martha Rich and me. Plus a bunch of really dumb trivia questions, because listening to Martha answer trivia is hilarious. You're welcome. PS My intro is all about creating a visual vocabulary!

That's just one of the bits of bullsh*t we'll be discussing with artist consultant / magical guide, Pennylane Shen. She's calling out the excuses and lies artists tell themselves. Brace yourself.

There are so many creative myths that need busting, and I know just the man for the job. Andy Miller, AKA Andy J. Pizza, is my joy-filled creative expert today!

Kate Bingaman-Burt is an artist, illustrator, professor, entrepreneur and now, thanks to a little fella named Hank, she's also a mom. Yes, you CAN be an artist and a mother at the same time!

Live from the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art with not one but two guests! Jennifer McCabe, the Director and Chief Curator at SMoCA, and installation artist Saskia Jorda.

Tip No. 1: Don't get drunk at your art opening. More helpful advice from the always hilarious and incredibly insightful artist/gallery owner Terrence Payne.

Painter and art school professor, Samantha Fields, shares lessons from her students - from how to pencil-in eyebrows to heart-wrenching stories of survival.

After a long break, the podcast is back! A slightly new format, but with a familiar friend - Ashley Longshore and I are getting real about staying positive, even on the crappy days.

Yayoi Kusama. Can you imagine not only meeting her, but getting to spend time with her - over years - while making a documentary about her incredible life? Well, that is exactly what American filmmaker Heather Lenz did.

Episode number 150! I'm celebrating this milestone with LA based painter Seonna Hong by talking about process, day jobs, Care Bears, tiger lilies, and happy accidents.

From a 45-year career of building art for the movies, to a brand new career of building art for himself. Richard Holland is my guest (and PS he worked on The Princess Bride. The. Princess. Bride!!!)

An audio podcast with a Deaf artist? Yep. Sound waves, gestural strokes, and the story of an artist who lost and then found her hearing. Canadian Kelsie Grazier is my guest.

Third time lucky! Yes, this is the third time I've had New York based artist Trey Speegle on the podcast. We've covered his childhood, the 80's in New York, and everything in between ... but today we're talking about Andy Warhol!

Big walls, a visual vocabulary inspired by a rich ethnic background, and a Google search that would change the course of her life. (FYI, it was: "Where are the tallest people in the world?"). Montreal based, Kazakhstan born artist Ola Volo is my guest.

From a super weird private school and her passion for women in art history, to Andy Warhol in drag and jumping off cliffs - portrait painter Annie Kevans is my guest today.

When you meet a self-described "Artist & Beekeeper" you invite them onto your podcast immediately. Yep, New York based designer, collage artist - and beekeeper - Charles Wilkin is my fabulous guest.

Embroidery. True story. Cayce Zavaglia is a painter who now uses stitches instead of brushstrokes - A LOT of stitches.

Sparkly stars, rainbows, mermaids, and a land full o' fairies! Shannon D. Taylor is an artist, a teacher, and a restorer of all things magical. She also paints on saws sometimes.

Season number three is kicking off with the talented and hilarious Sara Khan. We're talking about homemade mythology and taking small watercolors onto big walls for her first mural festival. We also cover important topics such as giving birth to kittens and/or dragons.

Fun Facts: CJ Hendry sold her entire wardrobe to buy drawing supplies, her favorite color is white, and she swears like a sailor ... yes, I loved her immediately.

Two LA based artists for the price of one! Married couple Esther Pearl Watson and Mark Todd are talking about art, teaching, parenting - and clearly, I had to find out who made the first move.

A painter of everyday messiness, the founder/editor of Create Magazine, and a soon-to-be host of her own podcast (that involves drinking with artists). Yep, we're day-drinking and interviewing each other!

Comparing creativity to mowing lawns, living inside a work of art, and a brand new book about creative heroes who lost their lives to AIDS. New York based artist, designer, and general creative genius Doug Meyer is my guest.

When a tiger tells you to make the jump into being a full-time collage artist, you listen! Berlin-based American artist (and citizen of the world), Clare Celeste Borsch is my guest today.

Brace yourself because you're in for a hilarious, inspiring, glittery, curse-filled adventure! New Orleans based artist and artrepreneur, Ashley Longshore is my guest today.

Paint, wax, fabric, bits of watercolor paintings, gouache, and probably a bunch of other things I'm missing - clearly the term "mixed media" isn't quite enough for the work of American artist Kaylee Dalton.

From being the daughter of a pastor in a town of 700, to a full-time abstract painter in downtown Toronto ... Janna Watson is my guest today.

Oil pastel drawings that have become quilts, and some insane stories about bar patrons and pickles. The dichotomy that is Terrence Payne on the podcast today. Brace yourself.

Porcelain baby bubbles, smoking Kewpie dolls, and life size ghosts with flowery breath. AND, we recorded all of that craziness live at Club Kwench in Victoria, BC. Listen to Susannah Montague and me interview each other!