Welcome to WONDER YEAR

This guided mediation is a part of WONDER YEAR, a year-long exploration in building and sustaining our creative practice. We’ll be moving through it together in real-time on the NOOK with live creative challenges, weekly reflections, journaling prompts, and more. Here on SEAMSIDE, I’ll be sharing a new guided meditation each week for the next three months—thirteen in all.My hope is that each one keeps you good company on your creative journey.…GETTING STARTED → Starting something new can bring up all kinds of questions. Do I really have time for this? Am I good enough? Is this selfish? This introductory meditation creates space to acknowledge those doubts while establishing something foundational: you have full permission to be here. We'll explore what sustained creative practice actually looks like, visualize the natural rhythm of beginning and deepening, and help you identify a guiding intention for the year ahead.REFLECTION QUESTION → What quality or intention do you want to cultivate through this year of practice?AFFIRMATION → I belong here / This time is mineWANT TO LEARN MORE? → Join us live for the full WONDER YEAR program in 2026 for a communal journey with monthly reflections, live gatherings, workshops, and ongoing support to help you build a sustainable, deeply personal creative practice. We’d love to have you <3

Step inside a packed gallery at the Southeastern Quilt & Textile Museum where I share the stories behind my SOUTHERN WHITE AMNESIA collection.This isn't a high-polish artist talk—it's a raw, honest exploration of how I discovered my family's deep involvement in slavery and transformed that uncomfortable truth into quilts, dolls, and primary source historical documents.This presentation demonstrates how textile work is uniquely positions to move into uncomfortable spaces and become a vehicle for historical reckoning and repair.You'll also hear about my decision to donate 100% of proceeds to HBCU scholarships and discover practical frameworks for approaching inherited trauma through the metaphor of "tending" rather than "mending" historical wounds.→ Curator page for the SWA collection→ Get your copy of THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR NEXT QUILT→ Get your free trial to the QUILTY NOOK→ Follow Zak on INSTAGRAM

In this special episode of SEAMSIDE, you'll hear reflections from a variety of community members who found connection, creative renewal, and unexpected insights while stitching side by side at our HUDDLE retreat. Working with textiles alongside others unlocks family stories and personal histories – there's something almost magical about the way fabric becomes a bridge across time and relationships.WANT TO JOIN US FOR THE NEXT HUDDLE?Learn more about our upcoming retreat here. And you can always email me at [email protected] for more information.→ Get your copy of THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR NEXT QUILT → Get your free trial to the QUILTY NOOK → Follow Zak on INSTAGRAM

I felt an immediate resonance when Demetri’s work first popped up on my screen. Here were these meticulous, vibrant prints of vintage photographs of ancestors, bedazzled in sequins and beads and quartz crystals. So we struck up a chat and over the last few months have really nurtured a budding friendship. It was over the course of my conversations with Demetri that I knew it was the right time to bring SEAMSIDE back.In this SEAMSIDE conversation, Demetri and I explore: ① how our identities can shift and expand over time ② why we need power objects like boxing gloves now more than ever ③ why he covers the eyes of his ancestors in his most recent workWHY LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE?In this conversation, Braxton reveals how personal identity shapes artistic practice, discussing his evolution from painting to creating intricate beaded boxing gloves and textile works that honor ancestors. His work navigates complex histories while seeking paths toward healing and understanding, offering valuable insights into how artists can address difficult histories while maintaining hope for the future.REFLECTION PROMPTHow do you navigate complex or difficult aspects of your family's history while maintaining connection to your past, your upbringing, and your ancestors?OTHER LINKS→ Get your copy of THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR NEXT QUILT→ Get your free trial to the QUILTY NOOK → See images and more at the EPISODE WEBSITE→ Follow Zak on INSTAGRAM

The last time Judy Martin and I caught up was about a year ago. At the point in time, she was just starting Your Fragile Life, a quilt project that she just wrapped up in recent weeks. If you haven’t heard our first chat, you can find it in the feed under April 2023. That conversation is one of the most-listened to episodes of all time, and in that chat, called HOW TO HOLD YOUR LIFE IN YOUR HANDS, Judy and I talk about: ① the tole time plays in our work ② how we can meet ourselves in our materials ③ how our creative arc shifts over timeThese days, she’s getting ready for her first international solo show at the Festival of Quilts in the UK and so there’s a lot to catch up on. In this conversation, Judy shares her reflections on quilting, caretaking, and the meaningful interactions she has had with different audiences, including a recent visit to her granddaughter's class. She discusses recent projects, like 'Your Fragile Life,' the importance of showing her work, even though showing itself comes with its own demands. One thing you’ll hear in this conversation that I think it quintessentially Judy is how she emphasizes the essential nature of care and touch in her quilts, highlighting how these elements connect with viewers on a deeply personal level. The discussion also touches on the power of minimalism, daily routines for creativity, and the broader implications of quilts in fostering compassion and understanding in the world we live in.→ Get your copy of THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR NEXT QUILT→ Get your free trial to the QUILTY NOOK→ Claim your free copy of 10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I STARTED QUILTING→ See images and more at the EPISODE WEBSITE → Nominate a GUEST for SEAMSIDE → Follow Zak on INSTAGRAM

Recently Dana Staves, writer and textile artist, wrote a post on the NOOK that was so sweet and real and inspiring that I asked if she wouldn't mind recording it for y'all to hear. And luckily for us, she did. Thank you, Dana. I hope you enjoy this reflection on art & craft by Dana Staves.If you’d like to see how the NOOK can support you in your creative process, claim your free trial at the link below. → Get your free trial to the QUILTY NOOK

Barbara Campbell Thomas had a long-established painting practice when, about a decade ago, her mother bought her a sewing machine. Little did she know, but that gift provided her the perfect missing piece to her creative practice.What draws me to Barbara’s work is the balance between tautness and texture. Her stretched and pieced canvas quilt works pushes back an “all or nothing” perspective on genre. Her work is naturally generative and generous, creating expanses for so much.In this SEAMSIDE conversation, Barbara and I explore ① the value of a regular sketchbook practice (even if you don’t draw) ② what even is abstraction ③ how you can detect your matriarchs at work→ Get your free trial to the QUILTY NOOK → Claim your free copy of 10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I STARTED QUILTING → See images and more at the EPISODE WEBSITE → Nominate a GUEST for SEAMSIDE → Follow Zak on INSTAGRAM

Welcome to MEMBERSTORY, a new series of bonus interviews that bring you real-life stories from the NOOK. These conversations have been a great way to get to know some of folks that make the NOOK so special. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Wendy Muir from Adelaide, Australia.If you’d like to see how the NOOK can support you in your creative process, claim your free trial at the link below. → Get your free trial to the QUILTY NOOK

Russell James Barratt and his wildly joyful quilts make me want to lasso the UK and bring our two countries closer together. His work is loud and colorful, his demeanor is gentle and composed, and those two sides of Russell make for an imminently enjoyable friend to chat with.In this SEAMSIDE conversation, Russell and I explore: ① how he balances the tension of empty space and maximalism ② why the arc of creative exploration is longer than long ③ how we can use our quilts to say things words don’t touch→ Get your free trial to the QUILTY NOOK → Claim your free copy of 10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I STARTED QUILTING → See images and more at the EPISODE WEBSITE → Follow Zak on INSTAGRAM

It’s been a year since Coulter Fussell and I first chatted here on SEAMSIDE. In that conversation, we talked about the South and family history, the role of community in her work, and how she maintains hope in the face of conflict. You can find that first conversation, HOW TO WORK WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT, in your feed below in March 2023.In this new SEAMSIDE conversation, Coulter and I reconnect and explore: ① why in the world she’s making headboards ② the traditional magic of making dolls ③ why Coulter thinks the world’s first sculpture was made by busy mothers→ Get your free trial to the QUILTY NOOK → Claim your free copy of 10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I STARTED QUILTING → See images and more at the EPISODE WEBSITE → Follow Zak on INSTAGRAM