PODCAST DESCRIPTION A serious and fun podcast for female creatives hosted by Ping, Dorien and Sarah, three happy artists from Amsterdam. This podcast will inspire you to make a living out of your art. We welcome you to be part of this community of like-minded people.
ABOUT THE HOSTS Ping He Ping is a watercolor artist. Her work is inspired by nature and her motherhood experience. She develops her greeting cards brand and teachers Botanical Illustration courses online and offline. https://www.pinghe.art info@pinghe.art www.instagram.com/pinghe.art
Sarah van Dongen is a children’s book illustrator and visual artist. She takes her sketchbooks and art supplies everywhere, which results in illustrations based on observation and daily life. https://www.sarahvandongen.com/ sarahvandongenillustration@gmail.com https://www.instagram.com/sarahvandongenillustrations/
Dorien Bellaar: Dorien is an illustration artist. Her work is mainly focused on illustration for children, editorial/food illustration, hand lettering, and she likes to combine those into both traditional and digital art. https://www.dorienbellaar.nl hello@dorienbellaar.nl www.instagram.com/dorienbellaar
Ping is here with a big announcement. The Thriving Women podcast is coming to an end…but don’t panic!
Ping is launching her very own brand new show - Botany Works Podcast. Each week on the show Ping, and her high profile guests, will share with you their insights into the world of art from both a creative and business perspective.
So join Ping as she helps you to grow your business, become successful and create a healthy work / life balance. You can listen to Botany Works Podcast on your favourite podcast platform.
And thank you for listening, and for all your support and reviews of The Thriving Woman Artist Podcast.
A serious and fun podcast for female creatives hosted by Ping He, a happy artist from Amsterdam. This podcast will inspire you to make a living out of your art. Ping welcomes you to be part of this community of like-minded people.
Ping is a watercolor artist. Her work is inspired by nature and her motherhood experience. She develops her greeting cards brand and teaches Botanical Illustration courses online and offline.
Welcome to this fresh look at Thriving Women Artist Podcast with your host, Ping He. In this episode, Ping is joined by watercolour artist and owner of Mitta Studio, Darya Mitta. In this wide ranging interview the ladies discuss everything from inspirations to motivation and time management to achieving success. So sit back and enjoy the first new look at what promises to be a great show.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Darya talks about her journey in the art world, from falling in love with painting at school, to working in design, and then taking the leap to follow her heart and become an artist.
Darya explains where she obtained her positive mindset and how reaffirming this on a daily basis helps her progress as an artist.
Darya and Ping talk about the importance of taking your work step by step and not to look for the end until it arrives.
The ladies discuss the importance of time management and balancing life and work commitments and share tips that you might find helpful.
BEST MOMENTS
“If you don’t think you are a genius, how will other people think it about you?”
“Find your potential, because that is the part that is unlimited.”
“Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, you can always, always change them.”
A serious and fun podcast for female creatives hosted by Ping He, a happy artist from Amsterdam. This podcast will inspire you to make a living out of your art. Ping welcomes you to be part of this community of like-minded people.
Illustration as a Business: Special Interview With Agent Kajsa Blomberg
Episode 73
Sunday, July 23, 2023 • Duration 39:23
On this week’s show Ping is all by herself, but to make up for the absence of Doreen and Sarah, she is joined by renowned artistic agent Kajsa Blomberg. In a wide ranging interview, Kajsa talks about her journey from being a law graduate to a highly established agent and shares valuable tips and insights for artists that are seeking representation and what they can expect once they have it.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Kajsa graduated from law school, specialising in intellectual property law. After working for Universal music she found herself drawn to working with artists. From there she took the leap to becoming an agent.
Ping and Kajsa discuss the importance of working to your strengths and, in a relationship between an agent and a client, how each must have an understating of the other's role.
Kajsa talks about her process of selecting the artists she wants to represent, and gives details of her ‘emotional checklist.’
Kajsa shares her top tips for artists that are looking for representation, including, surprisingly, asking yourself if you really need an agent.
BEST MOMENTS “The artist can only see the product, the agent helps them see the opportunities.” “Having an agent isn’t a golden ticket to making money, you still have to be an ambassador of your own work.” “The most important question for an artist to ask themselves is ‘What do I want?’, the answer to this question will help guide all your decisions.”
ABOUT THE PODCAST A serious and fun podcast for female creatives hosted by Ping, Dorien and Sarah, three happy artists from Amsterdam. This podcast will inspire you to make a living out of your art. We welcome you to be part of this community of like-minded people. www.thrivingwomenartists.com www.instagram.com/twapodcast
ABOUT THE HOSTS Ping He Ping is a watercolor artist. Her work is inspired by nature and her motherhood experience. She develops her greeting cards brand and teaches Botanical Illustration courses online and offline.
What Did I Want 2 Years Ago
Episode 72
Sunday, July 9, 2023 • Duration 45:55
In this week's episode Dorien is back and the ladies are reminiscing about their lives, hopes and dreams two years ago. But have they achieved what they set out to do or have their plans changed in unexpected ways and what affects has this had on their careers and their artistic journeys?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Ping talks about how, when she recovered from breast cancer two years ago, she decided to make a positive change in her life and follow her dreams, not knowing where she would end up or if it would even work, but she knew she was determined.
The ladies talk about motivation and discipline and the importance of keeping going on a project even if the fun aspect of it disappears.
Sarah talks about how over the last two years, she moved from being dedicated to only creating children's books to expanding into all kinds of illustration and the lessons she has learned from having a more open mind about her career.
Unlike the other two ladies, Dorien admits to not making firm plans and her preference to ‘go with the flow’ and expands how this affects her creative flow.
BEST MOMENTS “One of the most important things to have is persistence. Don’t take no for an answer.” “Intrinsic motivation brings you discipline.” “Regardless of how much or little we plan, things always seem to come together for the best.”
ABOUT THE PODCAST A serious and fun podcast for female creatives hosted by Ping, Dorien and Sarah, three happy artists from Amsterdam. This podcast will inspire you to make a living out of your art. We welcome you to be part of this community of like-minded people. www.thrivingwomenartists.com www.instagram.com/twapodcast
ABOUT THE HOSTS Ping He Ping is a watercolor artist. Her work is inspired by nature and her motherhood experience. She develops her greeting cards brand and teaches Botanical Illustration courses online and offline.
Believing in Yourself
Episode 71
Sunday, June 25, 2023 • Duration 22:31
This week Ping is at a book fair. But don’t worry, Doreen is back at the mic and the ladies are looking inward. They discuss the topic of believing in yourself and how every artist should find their way to doing it as it will, ultimately, help you grow and produce your best work.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
What is the emotional value of art? The ladies discuss this idea and how they think it shapes the way artists approach their work. They talk about how, as children, we only see emotional value in the art we make for others, but at what stage do we lose this idea and can we get it back?
If you don’t put your work out there, you’ll never know what reaction it will get. Are some artists reluctant to share their work for fear of rejection or because they think no one will be interested in it? Doreen and Sarah talk about why you should always try as you’ll never know if you don’t.
What is the difference between your inner critic and being critical of our work? How do you separate the two and how, once you understand this separation, can it lead to you flourishing as an artist?
The ladies discuss the importance of making something from your heart. Don’t be tempted to follow trends or fashion as this will only lead you to compare yourself to others. It takes courage to be true to yourself, but the rewards far outweigh those that you may receive from being ‘popular’.
BEST MOMENTS
“Every artist should believe that what they are making will be interesting to someone, otherwise why are you making it?”
“Just do it, and have fun doing it. That’s the most important thing.”
“You never know what might resonate with someone.”
ABOUT THE PODCAST
A serious and fun podcast for female creatives hosted by Ping, Dorien and Sarah, three happy artists from Amsterdam. This podcast will inspire you to make a living out of your art. We welcome you to be part of this community of like-minded people.
The Importance of Working on Your Own Project With Emmi Smid
Episode 70
Sunday, June 11, 2023 • Duration 37:38
This week Ping and Sarah are joined by children's illustrator Emmi Smid. In an in depth interview Emmi shares her journey to becoming a children illustrator and storyteller, some of her success and failures along the way, her working practices and why it is important, to her, to share her stories with the world.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The guest, Emmi, discusses her journey as an artist. How she started working in fine art, then made the realisation that most of her paintings were narrative based. One day, looking at her bookshelf, she had a moment of inspiration, realising that she had always been fascinated with childrens books, from there, she took the leap to being a children's illustrator.
The ladies discuss the difference between art being a hobby and a career. Do you lose the hobby aspect of it once you start to be paid for your work? Do friends and family take you seriously if you choose a career as an artist? And, what do the ladies define success as?
What are your work habits and how do they compare to others? The ladies share their different approaches on everything from sketch books to full projects and discuss the need for each individual to understand what their unique process is and why they shouldn’t compare it to others.
Emmi talks about the importance of working on personal projects. She talks about how it helps her figure out what is important to her and how, through sharing her stories and perspective on the world, she may be able to help others see things from a different viewpoint or realise that they’re not alone.
BEST MOMENTS
“You have to believe in yourself and follow the path that you are on.”
“Society has conditioned us to think we are only successful if we make money. But this is not true, if you are doing the thing you love, then you are already successful.”
“You’ve got to accept who you are, but at the same time, continue to push yourself.”
This week, Dorien is busy on a big project, but Sarah and Ping step up and talk you through planning studio time. The ladies pack their years of experience into a fun filled thirty minute episode and share some valuable tips and tricks that guarantee to make you more productive in your studio.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The ladies discuss how spending time in your studio to make it tidy and organised is as important as the time you spend in there to work. But remember to personalise your space, decorate not just your walls, but your pen holders, workbooks and bookshelves…remember you are an artist!
Remember that lighting your studio is important. You have to find a balance between a lighting set up that makes you comfortable and creates a productive working environment, but also one that will show a true representation of the colours you are working with.
If you want to improve your productivity, why not make a diary of what you do in your studio over a week. After that week is over, review your diary and find out what you actually spent your time on. You might be surprised!
The ladies discuss the idea of splitting your studio time into sections. Such as, Play Time’ - Where you create art for fun, or ‘Business Time’ - where you concentrate on generating revenue, or ‘Contribute TIme’ - where you try to help your colleagues, your community, a charity or some other third party.
BEST MOMENTS “My studio is a stage and I am a performer, so I need my stage to be organised.” “Sometimes allow yourself to be unproductive, to daydream, to create distance from your work.” “Every morning, prioritise your tasks from most urgent to least urgent.” “Know your “Why”, and then everything you do will be easier.”
ABOUT THE PODCAST A serious and fun podcast for female creatives hosted by Ping, Dorien and Sarah, three happy artists from Amsterdam. This podcast will inspire you to make a living out of your art. We welcome you to be part of this community of like-minded people. www.thrivingwomenartists.com
What Are We Working On ?
Episode 68
Sunday, May 14, 2023 • Duration 42:23
This week, Dorien is missing, but don’t worry Sarah and Ping are here and they’re going to get personal. This week, the ladies are going to give you an insight into their lives but not the exciting projects they are currently working on, instead they are going to talk about their personal lives and the effect it has on their work.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The ladies agree that hard work is the key to success. But advise you to remember to take time off for yourself. If all you are doing is working, then you won’t be able to look at your problems objectively and have any perspective.
The ladies discuss the benefits of a work life balance and how a healthy and happy home life will benefit your mental health and ultimately benefit your work
Sarah is currently not working on a big project. Whilst some people perceive that as her going through a bad patch, she is grateful for the break. It is allowing her to analyse her work and improve the areas she is not happy with.
Ping discusses the need she has for her work to have meaning. She is not content with just making a living from selling her work. What she really wants is for customers to buy her works because it resonates with them.
The ladies discuss bad moments in their lives and how they would tell themselves “Once we are better, we are going to do so many things.” They agree that it is important to remember that feeling once they return to the normality of daily life
BEST MOMENTS
“Most importantly - enjoy this life you have chosen”
“Take time to learn to grow.”
“Find time for yourself, even if it’s just 5 minutes a day. Do something that makes you happy for those 5 minutes.”
“Never forget why you started the journey you are on. If you get stuck, lose sight of your goals or lose heart, then ask yourself, ‘Why did I start?’.”
ABOUT THE PODCAST
A serious and fun podcast for female creatives hosted by Ping, Dorien and Sarah, three happy artists from Amsterdam. This podcast will inspire you to make a living out of your art. We welcome you to be part of this community of like-minded people.
The Artist Journey with Ema Malyauka
Episode 67
Monday, May 1, 2023 • Duration 41:37
Sarah and Ping are joined by Ema Malyauka, a self taught children's book illustrator, whose Belarusian surname translates to ‘drawing’. Ema discusses her creative process, sharing invaluable advice for young artists, and her journey as a self taught artist from knowing nothing about the industry to becoming a successful illustrator
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Ema struggled at school with regular lessons, but attended art classes outside of school and constantly received high praise from her teachers. Despite this, Ema decided against attending university to study art and began a journey of self teaching, learning from books, short courses, friends and other artists.
Ema is a lifelong fan of childrens books. From an early age she collected childrens books and images from the internet. When she finally decided to become an illustrator she did not hesitate to specialise in childrens illustrations.
Ema’s first professional experience was working with a friend who self published their own books. She recommends this to all young artists as it was an opportunity to learn her trade and make mistakes without the pressure that comes with working with an established publishing house.
When she started her career she didn’t know anything about the professional world of illustration including publishers and portfolio’s, but she found advice and guidance from fellow artists online that helped her career flourish.
To generate her own stories, Ema asks herself a question central to her idea and then makes a library of images and thoughts as well as researching other fairy tales through books and podcasts to ‘feed her brain.’ Ema also recommends creating a nice environment to work in. She finds that she has more inspiration if she covers her sketchbooks in colourful fabric instead of leaving them with their natural covers.
Some of Ema’s favourite illustrators include Adolf Born, Jiří Šalamoun, André François and Varya Yakovleva
BEST MOMENTS
“It’s a great time for the illustration world because of the increase of mobile phones and tablets, everything has to be more visually pleasing.”
Children’s Book Illustrator’s Journey with Devon Holzwarth
Episode 66
Monday, April 17, 2023 • Duration 48:23
Devon Holzwarth is an award-winning picture book illustrator, author, and painter. She joins Ping and Dorien to tell you all about her life as a Children’s Book Illustrator as well as her creative journey that led her there. Listen in for some great advice from someone who has broken into the illustration industry for themselves.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Devon went to Rhode Island School of Design art school where she majored in textile design. She majored in this because she thought that it had better job prospects than if she had chosen painting. She graduated in 2000 with a BFA.
Devon moved her life to Germany when her husband was offered a job there. It was only supposed to be for a few years but she now calls the place home. The great thing about being an artist was that she could work from anywhere and the new environment could lead to new interesting opportunities.
The moment that will take you to the next step can be scary and uncomfortable, which makes it hard for many of us to take it. Devon’s moment of taking that step was more of a push, so she didn’t have the opportunity to become wrapped up in whether or not she was comfortable or not.
One piece of advice that has stuck with Devon is when she was told ‘you need to put ten years into something before it begins to become successful’. This freaked her out because she found something she enjoyed and didn’t want to wait ten years for it to come to fruition. This lit a fire in her and gave her focus to succeed faster than the ten years she’d been told.
Devon decided she should make her own dummy book of her story about a boy and a bee which she took with her to Bologna. She showed it to the people she met there and one of the pieces of advice she got was to separate the one story into two. So she had one story about a bee and one about a boy. That advice she received really paid off after receiving a publishing offer.
BEST MOMENTS
‘I can do the same thing from somewhere else and be somewhere more interesting’
Ping is a watercolor artist. Her work is inspired by nature and her motherhood experience. She develops her greeting cards brand and teaches Botanical Illustration courses online and offline.
Dorien Bellaar Dorien is an illustration artist. Her work is mainly focused on illustration for children, editorial/food illustration, hand lettering, and she likes to combine those into both traditional and digital art. www.dorienbellaar.nl hello@dorienbellaar.nl www.instagram.com/dorienbellaar
Dorien Bellaar Dorien is an illustration artist. Her work is mainly focused on illustration for children, editorial/food illustration, hand lettering, and she likes to combine those into both traditional and digital art. www.dorienbellaar.nl hello@dorienbellaar.nl www.instagram.com/dorienbellaar
Ping is a watercolour artist. Her work is inspired by nature and her motherhood experience. She develops her greeting cards brand and teaches Botanical Illustration courses online and offline.
Sarah is a children’s book illustrator and visual artist. She takes her sketchbooks and art supplies everywhere, which results in illustrations based on observation and daily life.
Dorien is an illustration artist. Her work is mainly focused on illustration for children, editorial/food illustration, hand lettering, and she likes to combine those into both traditional and digital art.
A serious and fun podcast for female creatives hosted by Ping, Dorien and Sarah, three happy artists from Amsterdam. This podcast will inspire you to make a living out of your art. We welcome you to be part of this community of like-minded people.
Ping is a watercolor artist. Her work is inspired by nature and her motherhood experience. She develops her greeting cards brand and teaches Botanical Illustration courses online and offline.
Sarah is a children’s book illustrator and visual artist. She takes her sketchbooks and art supplies everywhere, which results in illustrations based on observation and daily life.
Dorien is an illustration artist. Her work is mainly focused on illustration for children, editorial/food illustration, hand lettering, and she likes to combine those into both traditional and digital art.
ABOUT THE HOSTS Ping He Ping is a watercolor artist. Her work is inspired by nature and her motherhood experience. She develops her greeting cards brand and teaches Botanical Illustration courses online and offline. www.pinghe.art info@pinghe.art www.instagram.com/pinghe.art
Dorien Bellaar Dorien is an illustration artist. Her work is mainly focused on illustration for children, editorial/food illustration, hand lettering, and she likes to combine those into both traditional and digital art. www.dorienbellaar.nl hello@dorienbellaar.nl www.instagram.com/dorienbellaar
Ping is a watercolor artist. Her work is inspired by nature and her motherhood experience. She develops her greeting cards brand and teaches Botanical Illustration courses online and offline.
Sarah is a children’s book illustrator and visual artist. She takes her sketchbooks and art supplies everywhere, which results in illustrations based on observation and daily life.
Dorien is an illustration artist. Her work is mainly focused on illustration for children, editorial/food illustration, hand lettering, and she likes to combine those into both traditional and digital art.
“I always recommend young artists to try a project with a friend. You’ll be more relaxed, not afraid to make mistakes and get an understanding of the process.”
“Find people in the illustration world online. They are lovely people and will be happy to help and advise you.”
“Don’t compare your journey to others. Your journey is what makes you unique as an illustrator.”
A serious and fun podcast for female creatives hosted by Ping, Dorien and Sarah, three happy artists from Amsterdam. This podcast will inspire you to make a living out of your art. We welcome you to be part of this community of like-minded people.
Ping is a watercolor artist. Her work is inspired by nature and her motherhood experience. She develops her greeting cards brand and teaches Botanical Illustration courses online and offline.
Sarah is a children’s book illustrator and visual artist. She takes her sketchbooks and art supplies everywhere, which results in illustrations based on observation and daily life.
Dorien is an illustration artist. Her work is mainly focused on illustration for children, editorial/food illustration, hand lettering, and she likes to combine those into both traditional and digital art.
Devon Holzwarth is a picture book illustrator, author, and painter. She is a recipient of the Schneider Family Book Award and a notable Sydney Taylor Award, as well as a Society of Illustrators gold medal winner. Born in Washington D.C., Devon grew up in Panama surrounded by nature and her dad's art supplies. She has lived in many other places, including Germany, where she currently resides with her husband, two kids, a galgo dog from Spain and a little dachshund from Romania.
Devon earned her BFA in 2000 from the Rhode Island School of Design focusing on screen printing and painting. She has written & illustrated “Found You” and “Sophie’s Stories” and has illustrated a number of picture books including “Tia Fortuna’s New Home”, “LISTEN, How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion” and “Everywhere With You”.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
A serious and fun podcast for female creatives hosted by Ping, Dorien and Sarah, three happy artists from Amsterdam. This podcast will inspire you to make a living out of your art. We welcome you to be part of this community of like-minded people.
Ping is a watercolor artist. Her work is inspired by nature and her motherhood experience. She develops her greeting cards brand and teaches Botanical Illustration courses online and offline.
Sarah is a children’s book illustrator and visual artist. She takes her sketchbooks and art supplies everywhere, which results in illustrations based on observation and daily life.
Dorien is an illustration artist. Her work is mainly focused on illustration for children, editorial/food illustration, hand lettering, and she likes to combine those into both traditional and digital art.
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