Artist Dawn DeVries Sokol used her journalism degree to edit newspapers and design magazines. That lead to designing books and later writing and illustrating her own books. Her latest books are The Postcard Project and The Planner Book. Dawn also paints custom pet portraits and teaches online art classes. Her workshops can be found on her website as well as on the Creative Bug platform of art classes. Her newest class is called Badass Femmes, which is starting soon, and she’ll tell you all about that in our conversation. Listen here or download from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, CastBox, Overcast, iHeartRadio, Amazon podcasts, or Stitcher. Dawn DeVries Sokol Journal page Journal page Digital art The Postcard Project bookcover Good Dog bookcover From her Desert Dwellers collection Painting on wood, 16"x16" Dawn's website is dawnsokol.com She is also on Instagram @dawndsokol Her workshops, including Badass Femmes, can be found on her website here and she also has some on Creative Bug.

Jessica Hughes is an award-winning artist, author, art business coach and single mom of 7. As CEO of Jess Hughes Media & Fine Art, she leads multiple arms of the brand to promote her own paintings and to offer online courses and programs to artists looking to grow authentic, heart-centered and thriving businesses. Jess also co-authored the International Best-seller called She Did It and So Can You, which chronicles her steps and strategies to rapid success. Jess has overcome the dark days of addiction and trauma, to courageously change everything, embrace joy, and never look back. Her purpose is clear: to uplift and empower others in everything she creates. Her writing, painting, speaking, and coaching is a living example that incredible joy and success can exist on the other side of adversity. Listen here or download from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, CastBox, Overcast, iHeartRadio, Amazon podcasts, or Stitcher. Jessica Hughes Jessica's website is jessicahughesfineart.com. To join her Media Accelerator for Artists & Creators, which begins March 1, 2022, click here. You also can join her Facebook community called Media Visibility for Artists & Creators. She is also on Instagram @jessicahughesfineart.

Artist Kiana Jones makes art under her middle name as Rokita Art. Kiana uses watercolor, pens, and embroidery to make beautiful abstracts. Some are large and some are very small and she mounts them into glass lockets to make jewelry. Kiana has also started an online handmade marketplace called Happening Hands. She invites other artists to list their art items, and she provides the platform, marketing, and expertise for getting your art sold. Happening Hands is also an online community, where Kiana provides free resources, videos, and business strategies. Listen here or download from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, CastBox, Overcast, iHeartRadio, Amazon podcasts, or Stitcher. Kiana Jones Kiana's art website is rokitaart.com and she is on Instagram @rokitaart. Her marketplace is happeninghands.com and is on Instagram @happeninghands and @happeninghandshandmade

Erik Abel is an artist, surfer, and world traveler. He lives in Southern Oregon, an area I know quite well because my mom and her family are from there. Before settling in Ashland, Oregon with his family, Erik surfed and traveled all over the South Pacific. Always sketching, he worked to develop his own unique style, which includes images of ocean waves, nature, animals, and abstract figures. Erik paints with acrylic on boards, and enhances his art with pencils and paint pens. He shows his art in galleries, but he has also completed many commission pieces, sometimes for surfing events. He recently added a large detached studio behind his house, and he’s working to get it filled and see how it helps his art business. Listen here or download from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, CastBox, Overcast, iHeartRadio, Amazon podcasts, or Stitcher. Erik Abel Pacific Patchwork 4 Lion of the Mountain Wapiti Ursus Pacific Patchwork 3 Horizon 4 Break in the Storm Arch Rock Erik's website is abelarts.com.  His abstract art is on abstractpursuits.com. You can also find him on Instagram @abelarts and @abstractpursuits If you would like to shift your art practice towards becoming more human, earth, and animal friendly, check out Erik's website artdetoxchallenge.com and Instagram @artdetoxchallenge. This is an evolving area and Erik will be posting his latest discoveries and thoughts there.

For something different, I’m talking with two creative people. I saw the artwork of Aiden Paez in a magazine article about his family and his mother Karen Emile’s home styling. The article contained lots of photos of their home, including Aiden’s paintings hanging on the walls. I loved what I saw in that article, so I contacted them. Aiden is a self-taught painter who works in acrylic, and most recently, in oils. His muted color palette is inspired by his Mom’s home décor and the colors that she loves. Aiden is only 15 years old, but he’s a very talented artist. I interviewed them both together so it wouldn’t be so daunting for Aiden, but I also wanted to hear his Mom talk about her creative style. Listen here or download from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, CastBox, Overcast, iHeartRadio, Amazon podcasts, or Stitcher. Aiden Paez Karen Emile and Aiden Paez Aiden's website is throughaidenseyes.com He is also on Instagram @throughaidenseyes His mom, Karen Emile, is on Instagram @milkandhoneylife Aiden mentioned he like the process painting videos on YouTube of Alpay Efe.