The Creative Mother Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Agate Rubene is the artist and illustrator behind Restless & Infectious. Originally from Latvia, she is now based in Auckland, New Zealand.

With a background in fashion and graphic design, Agate began her creative journey through fashion illustration—a foundation that continues to shape her distinctive style. Her work focuses on people and their actions, capturing emotion and celebrating life’s pleasures with a light-hearted tone.

She uses bright colour palettes, fluid shapes, and vibrant characters to craft alternative realities inspired by daily experiences, mood, and the aesthetic of pop culture.

Agate creates bold, expressive paintings, custom commissions, and commercial illustrations that bring stories to life. She has collaborated with brands such as Dipsea, The Beauty Book, and Urbanaut, and her work has found homes with collectors worldwide—reflecting its universal appeal.

https://restlessinfectious.com/

https://www.instagram.com/restless_infectious/

https://www.facebook.com/RestlessInfectious

About your host:

Kate Hursthouse is a practising artist and trainee Creative Arts Therapist with over a decade of creative and community experience. She combines her background in design, illustration, and arts education with a growing therapeutic practice centred on inclusion, emotional wellbeing, and creative expression. Guided by empathy and curiosity, Kate supports individuals and groups to explore identity, connection, and growth through the transformative process of art-making.

She started this podcast to try and answer the question: how do we continue to be creative and produce creative work, while raising children? Her goal is to create a little corner of the internet where creative mothers share their stories and gain a feeling of community, understanding and inspiration.

https://www.katehursthouse.com/

https://www.instagram.com/katehursthouse/

https://www.instagram.com/creativemotherpodcast/

A huge thanks to Auckland Council Creative Communities Scheme for supporting this season of the podcast.

Abbie McCall (Ngāti Apa) is a mother of three and a proud Māori creative whose life has always been steeped in the arts. Born into a whānau of musicians, visual artists, and makers, creativity has been her constant — a natural rhythm that’s guided her through every chapter.

A true jack of all trades, Abbie spent her life joyfully moving between creative worlds — until 2022, when everything stopped. A breast cancer diagnosis brought transformation in every sense of the word. Through the challenge came a deep rebuilding, and it was art-making that became her compass — a way to recalibrate, to find meaning, and to return home to herself.

A chance encounter at a writing workshop introduced her to the world of Creative Arts Therapy, sparking a brave return to academia with renewed purpose. What followed was not traditional study, but a deep dive into identity, healing, and curiosity — a process of carving out, and peeling back. 

Now completing her Master’s in Creative Arts Therapy (Clinical), Abbie brings the healing power of art into schools, kaupapa Māori spaces, and acute care settings. Her mahi is grounded in aroha, wairua, and connection — meeting people where they are, and using creativity as a bridge back to wholeness.

For Abbie, being creative isn’t a verb — it’s an innate devotion. A way of being.

Links mentioned in the podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/abbie.toi.ora.therapy/

https://www.wharehaututu.nz/creativearttherapy

https://www.dancetherapy.co.nz/

https://huiacomehome.co.nz/

Notes on Womanhood - https://sarahjanebarnett.net/

About your host:

Kate Hursthouse is a practising artist and trainee Creative Arts Therapist with over a decade of creative and community experience. She combines her background in design, illustration, and arts education with a growing therapeutic practice centred on inclusion, emotional wellbeing, and creative expression. Guided by empathy and curiosity, Kate supports individuals and groups to explore identity, connection, and growth through the transformative process of art-making.

She started this podcast to try and answer the question: how do we continue to be creative and produce creative work, while raising children? Her goal is to create a little corner of the internet where creative mothers share their stories and gain a feeling of community, understanding and inspiration.

https://www.katehursthouse.com/

https://www.instagram.com/katehursthouse/

https://www.instagram.com/creativemotherpodcast/

A huge thanks to Auckland Council Creative Communities Scheme for supporting this season of the podcast.

Today’s conversation is with iconic New Zealand artist and mum of two boys FLOX.

Having built her brand over many years, FLOX is one of New Zealand’s most recognised contemporary artists, redefining what it is to be a practicing artist in the 21st century. An aerosol and stencil artist with a fine art degree, FLOX first made her mark on the inner cityscape of Auckland in 2003. Her trademark native birds, ferns and flowers are a celebration of New Zealand’s environmental taonga (treasure).

FLOX has always maintained a philosophy of “making art for the people” and making her art accessible which has seen her take her own artistic lane by avoiding the traditional artist/gallery relationship. Utilising her long term experience and skill set, FLOX has also spent the last few years putting energy into teaching workshops and passing on her creative knowledge.  

Her shop and working studio - Haus Of Flox can be found in Grey Lynn, Auckland and she has just opened up a new gallery space next door called Eyes on Fire which aims to be a gallery by artists, for artists

Haus of Flox, 13 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand

www.flox.co.nz
Insta: @floxnz 

Eyes on Fire Gallery, 15 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand

www.eyesonfire.nz
Insta: @eyesonfire.nz

Links from today’s episode:
iPad Pro & Fresco App

Books illustrated by Flox
Tu Meke Tutatara
Tu Meke Tui

Inspired by:
Charles and Janine Williams
@charlesjaninewilliams

Watching:
Handmaids Tale
House of Dragon

About your host:
Kate Hursthouse is an artist, creative business owner and single mother to one awesome kid. She has run her own creative business since 2014 and has been involved in a whole range of projects over the years - from commercial illustrations and design projects to contemporary art, children’s book illustrations and hand painted murals.

She started this podcast to try and answer the question: how do we continue to be creative and produce creative work, while raising children? Her goal is to create a little corner of the internet where creative mothers share their stories and gain a feeling of community, understanding and inspiration.

www.katehursthouse.com
@katehursthouse
www.creativemotherpodcast.com
@creativemotherpodcast

If you are wanting to start or grow your creative business I have just the thing for you. I have learned over the years that to succeed as a creative, you must understand business. I wish I had a guide to help me when I got started, and the way I see it the more we can share with each other the better it is for all creatives. So I have created a Free e-book with an overview of some of the things I think are essential to know when starting a creative business. I have included:

5 things you need to get your business started
7 revenue streams to make income as an artist
5 ways to sell and share your work
You can download ‘The Basics of Running a Creative Business’ f

This week on The Creative Mother Podcast, host Kate Hursthouse talks to Napier based print maker and contemporary artist Rachael Stone. Through her artwork and zines, she loves expressing messages of self-worth (especially to young girls). Rachael's prints predominately depict her daughter overcoming challenges and believing in her capabilities. Her most recent work has been large-scale, bold-line paintings frequently referencing other women she admires, female empowerment and women supporting women.  Several of these statement pieces are displayed in local businesses around the Napier CBD. 

Instagram: @rachaelstoneart

Links from today’s episode:

Creative Arts Napier

Rachael’s Books
I Hope You
I See a Girl

Inspired by:

Greenhouse Interiors
Timothy Goodman
Kindah Khalidy
Ken Done

The Kiwi creatives Rachael’s currently feeling inspired by:

Flox NZ
Katherine Quinn
Grimoire Studio
Dali Susanto
Mica Still

Reading:

Matisse Books
Raising Girls Who Like Themselves

About your host:

Kate Hursthouse is an artist, creative business owner and single mother to one awesome kid. She has run her own creative business since 2014 and has been involved in a whole range of projects over the years - from commercial illustrations and design projects to contemporary art, children’s book illustrations and hand-painted murals.

She started this podcast to try and answer the question: how do we continue to be creative and produce creative work, while raising children? Her goal is to create a little corner of the internet where creative mothers share their stories and gain a feeling of community, understanding and inspiration.

www.katehursthouse.com
@katehursthouse

www.creativemotherpodcast.com
@creativemotherpodcast

If you are wanting to start or grow your creative business I have just the thing for you. I have learned over the years that to succeed as a creative, you must understand business. I wish I had a guide to help me when I got started, and the way I see it the more we can share with each other the better it is for all creatives. So I have created a Free e-book with an overview of some of the things I think are essential to know when starting a creative business. I have included:

5 things you need to get your business started
7 revenue streams to make income as an artist
5 ways to sell and share your work

You can download ‘The Basics of Running a Creative Business’ for free here.

Today Kate Hursthouse talks about some of the key themes and takeaways from season one of The Creative Mother Podcast.
In particular she talks about building a strong support system, connecting with other creative women, investing in business mentoring, never having all your eggs in one basket and prioritising yourself, your health and your creativity.

Kate Hursthouse is an artist, creative business owner, mentor and single mother to one awesome kid. She has worked on a whole range of projects over the years - from commercial illustrations and design projects to contemporary art, children’s book illustrations and hand painted murals. After 14 years working in the creative industries, and the last eight years running her own creative business, Kate understands the barriers in the creative industry and the challenges faced by women in the arts.  She is passionate about educating women on alternative ways of working and building a sustainable creative business that can accommodate their creativity and their families.

She started this podcast to try and answer the question: how do we continue to be creative and produce creative work, while raising children? Her goal is to create a little corner of the internet where creative mothers share their stories and gain a feeling of community, understanding and inspiration.

www.katehursthouse.com

@katehursthouse

www.creativemotherpodcast.com

@creativemotherpodcast

Download The Basics of Running a Creative Business 

Download My Studio ToolKit: 60 tools, materials & programs I use to run my creative business

Join the Creative Business Basics Facebook page

Find out more about The Business of Art Mentoring course

Links from todays episode:

https://adriennewhitewood.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AdrienneWhitewood/

https://www.facebook.com/AdrienneWhitewood/

TikTok: @adriennewhitewood

https://ahuboutique.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ahuboutique.co.nz/

https://www.instagram.com/ahuboutique/

Stores:

ahu Boutique Rotorua

1178 Eruera Street, Rotorua, New Zealand 

ahu Boutique Wellington

115 Victoria Street, Te Aro, Wellington

Miro Moda

Koko Chocolate

Watching:

Korean Drama of Netflix:

Greenhouse Mother’s Club

Hometown Cha Cha Cha

About your host:

Kate Hursthouse is an artist, creative business owner and single mother to one awesome kid. She has run her own creative business since 2014 and has been involved in a whole range of projects over the years - from commercial illustrations and design projects to contemporary art, children’s book illustrations and hand-painted murals. 

She started this podcast to try and answer the question: how do we continue to be creative and produce creative work, while raising children? Her goal is to create a little corner of the internet where creative mothers share their stories and gain a feeling of community, understanding, and inspiration.

www.katehursthouse.com

@katehursthouse

www.creativemotherpodcast.com

@creativemotherpodcast

FREE download: The 60 tools, materials and programs I use to run my creative business

This week on The Creative Mother Podcast host Kate Hursthouse talks to artist and painter of joy, Jen Sievers. Jen's mission is to bring joy into your home. She does this with her distinctive colours, and by injecting all of her strongest positive, magical energy into every single piece. Jen paints joy. She uses acrylic paints with fresh colours, sweeping lines and a contemporary edge. She has worked in abstract and portraiture, but found her artistic home in contemporary abstracted landscapes. Colour is her love language.

A brush with breast cancer gave her the push she needed to become a full time artist and over the last few years she has gone from strength to strength. She paints obsessively in her home studio in the foothills of the Waitakeres, New Zealand - between being a mum and hatching plans for new creative projects.

https://jensievers.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/jensievers_art/ 

https://www.facebook.com/jensieversart 

Links from today’s episode:

Jen Jen Home

Inspired by:

Petrina Jose

Reading:

“Boy Swallows Universe” Trent Dalton

“All our shimmering skies” Trent Dalton

Listening to:

Tim Ferris

Lewis Howes

Glennon Doyle

Brene Brown

About your host:

Kate Hursthouse is an artist, creative business owner and single mother to one awesome kid. She has run her own creative business since 2014 and has been involved in a whole range of projects over the years - from commercial illustrations and design projects to contemporary art, children’s book illustrations and hand-painted murals. 

She started this podcast to try and answer the question: how do we continue to be creative and produce creative work, while raising children? Her goal is to create a little corner of the internet where creative mothers share their stories and gain a feeling of community, understanding, and inspiration.

www.katehursthouse.com

@katehursthouse

www.creativemotherpodcast.com

@creativemotherpodcast

15 Minutes to Calm is a free four-part mini course that gives you permission to take 15 minutes out of your day to find a bit of calm. Through the course you will be guided through 15 minutes of meditation, 15 minutes of journaling, 15 minutes of yoga and 15 minutes of creating so you can begin to take control of your wellbeing and find a bit more calm in your day.

Sign up for free at https://courses.katehursthouse.com/ 

This week on The Creative Mother Podcast host Kate Hursthouse talks to the founder of Paper Theory Patterns, Tara Viggo. Tara was born in the Cook Islands and grew up in New Zealand, however Tara has been living and working in London as a professional pattern cutter for the last 16 years. During this time Tara has worked right across the Fashion industry, from Top Shop and All Saints to luxury catwalk brands like J.W Anderson, Erdem, and Roland Mouret. This breadth of experience gave her insight and expertise into how the fashion industry really works.It is this behind the scenes understanding that lead her to re-evaluate how the fashion industry was serving the public and prompted her to create a means for people to dip out of fast fashion without dipping out of fashion altogether. Paper Theory was created in a quest to help others who, like Tara wanted to get as far away as possible from the fast fashion system – but didn’t want to leave fashion altogether.  

https://papertheorypatterns.com/
https://www.instagram.com/paper_theory/

Links from today’s episode:

Inspired by:
The global sewing community, especially on Instagram
Watching:
Bridgerton
Reading:
The Body Keeps the Score

About your host:
Kate Hursthouse is an artist, creative business owner and single mother to one awesome kid. She has run her own creative business since 2014 and has been involved in a whole range of projects over the years - from commercial illustrations and design projects to contemporary art, children’s book illustrations and hand-painted murals. She started this podcast to try and answer the question: how do we continue to be creative and produce creative work, while raising children? Her goal is to create a little corner of the internet where creative mothers share their stories and gain a feeling of community, understanding, and inspiration.
www.katehursthouse.com
@katehursthouse
www.creativemotherpodcast.com
@creativemotherpodcast

FREE download: The 60 tools, materials and programs I use to run my creative business

This week on The Creative Mother Podcast host Kate Hursthouse talks to Jade Tang - Taylor who is a purpose-driven, design-led, creative social entrepreneur. Over the past 10-15+ years her career has been more of a squiggly line than a straight one, something I can really relate to. Jade has worked on a myriad of game-changing projects with change-making organisations, moving in & out of being a social entrepreneur to social intrapreneur across various organisations, industries & sectors. However, the common thread through them all is that she is deeply passionate about design for social innovation, social change & more recently systems change.
She brought Creative Mornings to New Zealand 10 years ago. Currently, the main "hat" she wears is the Director of Innovation & Partnerships at Innovation Unit. She is also an Edmund Hillary Fellow, a SheEO activator but most importantly Jade a proud working mum of one.

https://www.tangtaylor.com/
https://twitter.com/JadeTT123   
https://www.instagram.com/jadett123/   
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jadett123/

Links from today’s episode
Creative Mornings Auckland
Swiss Miss - Tina Roth-Eisenburg
Emma Rogan
100 Days Project
100 Mums Project
https://medium.com/@JadeTT123/100-mums-project-reflections-468c0d0315d0
SHEEO

Inspired by:
Traci Houpapa
Ara Simmons

Listening to:
The Long Time Academy

About your host:
Kate Hursthouse is an artist, creative business owner and single mother to one awesome kid. She has run her own creative business since 2014 and has been involved in a whole range of projects over the years - from commercial illustrations and design projects to contemporary art, children’s book illustrations and hand-painted murals. She started this podcast to try and answer the question: how do we continue to be creative and produce creative work, while raising children? Her goal is to create a little corner of the internet where creative mothers share their stories and gain a feeling of community, understanding, and inspiration.
www.katehursthouse.com
@katehursthouse
www.creativemotherpodcast.com
@creativemotherpodcast

FREE download: The 60 tools, materials and programs I use to run my creative business

This week on The Creative Mother Podcast host Kate Hursthouse talks to Wellington based street artist Mica Still. Mica has represented herself throughout her career, showing in over 100 exhibitions. She has been an art mentor, curated shows, a fundraiser and has caught the eye of many NZ and Australian collectors. In the last decade she has moved her practice to the streets gaining recognition quickly for her bold animals that dominate the urban landscape and serve as guardians. Mica’s work, with its radiant colour and optical punch, howling tigers, wolves, guardians and naughty bits – is alive, daring, yet refreshingly sensitive. The jolt of her work contrasts with Mica’s trademark gentle demeanour. Mica has battled several chronic health issues over the years including Endometriosis and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, while juggling motherhood and a creative career and I really appreciate her openness in this conversation.

www.micastill.com

https://www.instagram.com/micastill

Links from todays episode:

Graffiato Festival - Taupo

Chronic Health:

Endometriosis

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ME/CFS

Watching: 

Yellow Jackets

Vikings

About your host:

Kate Hursthouse is an artist, creative business owner and single mother to one awesome kid. She has run her own creative business since 2014 and has been involved in a whole range of projects over the years - from commercial illustrations and design projects to contemporary art, children’s book illustrations and hand-painted murals. 

She started this podcast to try and answer the question: how do we continue to be creative and produce creative work, while raising children? Her goal is to create a little corner of the internet where creative mothers share their stories and gain a feeling of community, understanding, and inspiration.

www.katehursthouse.com

@katehursthouse

www.creativemotherpodcast.com

@creativemotherpodcast

15 Minutes to Calm is a free four-part mini course that gives you permission to take 15 minutes out of your day to find a bit of calm. Through the course you will be guided through 15 minutes of meditation, 15 minutes of journaling, 15 minutes of yoga and 15 minutes of creating so you can begin to take control of your wellbeing and find a bit more calm in your day.

Sign up for free at https://courses.katehursthouse.com/