May Recap
This is how May changed the game for us
Friend, how are you doing, really?
There’s this unspoken pressure that comes with the season as the peonies open their flower petals towards the sun. Are we too expected to bloom?
In a world where folks share their wins and woes online, some of our most important creative work happens quietly and in ways that don’t make for a good caption.
May was proof of that. Both on the podcast and on Creative Matters, where we spent this month talking about time, resistance, rituals, and what it means to build a body of work that belongs to you. Let’s get into it.
Sierra Glasgow is the interior designer behind Uniek Interiors, and she is not here to make beige boxes. Sierra grew up in Richmond, VA surrounded by Black culture. Think African fabrics and bold colors. Sierra weaves these influences into a signature aesthetic she calls the “New Black Look.”
On the pod, we reveal she found her first clients, what she learned when she undercharged on her very first project, and the non-negotiable boundaries she uses to protect both her design vision and peace of mind.
If you’ve ever been told your style is “too much,” this one’s for you.
Sometimes, I end up creating solo episodes that I need to hear. Join me as I chat about how to end your war with time. I introduce the Sea Glass Principle as a metaphor for engaging with life’s hard knocks. If you’ve been measuring yourself against all you haven't accomplished, this episode is an invitation to look at your journey from a different perspective.
🎧 Listen to Episode 209 here →
Painter Tiffani Glenn built a body of work around the idea: Black women deserve to be seen in their full confidence and color. We talked about her pivot from animation school to fine art, who helped to shape her signature style of exaggerated movement and feeling, and the one thing she does every single time a creative block hits. Her answer is simple, a little counterintuitive, and one of the most honest things about the pressure we put on ourselves to produce.
🎧 Listen to Episode 210 here →
When my son was little, we had a song for everything: nap time, morning, and bedtime routines. I didn’t realize until much later that what I thought were routines were, in fact, rituals.
Tune in to this episode to hear why rituals may be the distinction you needed for your creative practice. We get into what Twyla Tharp, Beethoven, Maya Angelou, and Toni Morrison all understood about transitions. We touch on what science and ancient traditions have confirmed about why your brain performs better when you give it a predictable on-ramp into the work.
🎧 Listen to Episode 211 here →
Over on Creative Matters, here’s what landed in your inbox in May.
Inspired by my conversation with Sierra Glasgow, this essay discusses the gap between admiration and trust.
I introduce something I call the non-resentment rate and share why asparagus sparked my favorite metaphor for boundaries. This essay is one of the most personal things I’ve written about client work.
When I was a teenager, I razored out a Ghirlandaio print and taped it to my wall. That print has followed me into my photography practice ever since. Over the years, the print has forced me to consider what it means to see without editing what’s in front of you and why that might be the most important thing a photographer, or any artist, can learn to do.
Thank You for Being Here
While the episodes we made this month weren’t flashy or trend-driven, they were honest. And honesty is what keeps this community alive.
Every time you hit play on a commute, listen while you’re prepping to work, or share an episode with a friend who needed it — you are part of why this show exists. I don’t take that lightly.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for making time for this work even when your calendar is full and your creative tank feels low. June is here, and we have more good conversations waiting for you. Until then, stay creative, friend.
With love, Martine 🖤