Show Up or Shut Up with Wendy Solganik

Host Wendy Solganik welcomes longtime Fodder Schoolparticipant Cathy Watson, an artist in Christchurch, New Zealand, to discuss Cathy’s creative journey and how the global Fodder School community supports sustained making. Cathy describes growing up with creativity, learning to sew at age 10,loving art at school, and later becoming deeply involved in scrapbooking—working in stores, teaching classes, and navigating limited product access in New Zealand, including reliance on imported supplies and delayed magazines. She explains her transition into mixed media through influences, local classes, and conventions, and shares how Fodder Schoollessons—especially Angela Kennedy’s drawing and Karen Elaine’s Wild Watercolor—build her skills through step-by-step learning. Cathy talks about retirement routines, making art in focused windows, and running a monthly “crop and craft” gathering that supports creative wellbeing. 00:00 Meet Cathy Watson01:24 Podcast Premise02:46 Zooming From New Zealand03:50 Fearless With Art06:15 Sewing And Scrapbooking Roots09:31 Life In Christchurch14:50 Supplies And Access Limits25:00 Mixed Media Enters Scrapbooking29:32 Travel Albums And Memory Keeping32:12 Trips Abroad And Family37:45 Back To Art Skills40:10 Wild Watercolor Breakdown41:53 Watercolor Control Struggles42:28 Learning Curve and Confidence42:57 Memory and School Stories44:23 What Creativity Feels Like45:49 Retail Career and Retirement50:55 Morning Routine and Cats55:50 Fodder School Habits56:37 Supply Hunting in NZ58:02 The Pen That Worked01:01:16 When Art Time Happens01:04:38 Family Reactions to Art01:06:56 NZ Friends and Immigration01:10:21 Crop and Craft Community01:15:59 Wrapping Up and Goodbye

Host Wendy Solganik interviews UK mixed media artist andlongtime Fodder School member Emma Hudson, first discussing the mixed feelings around AI art as a tool that won’t replace human making. Emma shares her path from studying textiles/fashion and working in London—teaching for years in a special needs school and later in a creative nursery team—to focusing on art after medical retirement, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune issues, caregiving for her mother-in-law with Alzheimer’s, and her daughter leaving for university. She describes lifelong sketchbooks, making cards and projects, anda childhood of “make do and mend,” plus early inspiration from the TV show Take Hart. After starting Instagram in March 2022, she joined Fodder School, posted daily, embraced process over perfection, found community, and now identifies as an artist, exploring collage, gel printing, embroidery on paper, watercolor, pattern, and an earthy sea-and-rust palette. 00:00 Meet Emma Hudson03:28 AI Art Debate13:48 Emma In England14:16 From Seaside To London17:25 Teaching And Family20:29 Rheumatoid Arthritis Shift22:21 Sketchbooks And Projects26:26 Instagram To Fodder School30:27 Finding Her Tribe34:12 Early Art Roots34:53 Scrap Collage Roots36:10 Childhood Materials Memory38:28 Take Hart Felt Tips39:57 Sketchbooks Without Notes43:58 Art Through Life Shifts45:22 Finding Purpose as Artist49:56 Online Community Connection52:28 Art Shops and Access58:49 Always Making Projects59:39 Originality and Inspiration01:04:03 Aging Into Freedom01:06:21 Detaching From Doomscrolling01:07:28 Workday Without News01:09:34 Kids In The Rage Machine01:10:31 Personal Art Practices01:12:34 Learning Styles And Teaching01:16:44 Altering Clothes For Comfort01:21:44 Ancestors And Showing Up01:24:44 Freedom Without Judgment01:27:41 Finding Your Color Palette01:29:51 Why We Love Decay01:33:27 Final Push To Make Art

Host Wendy Solganik interviews longtime Fodder School participant Tina Lee-Cronkhite, an artist in Grand Rapids, Michigan, about her creative path and community. Tina grew up around her mother’s fine art (portraits, oils, landscapes) and shifted from mechanical engineering after a GM supervisor encouraged her to apply to the Center for Creative Studies, where she studied graphic design and later worked at ad agencies doing print design before the digital era. She became deeply involved in calligraphy—helping start a Kalamazoo guild, attending in-person workshops and conferences, exploring bookmaking, and valuing traditional tools—while also embracing looser, mixed-media approaches over time. Tina joined Fodder School in its first year during COVID, credits it as a lifesaver, works from a basement studio, displays art throughout her home, gives pieces away, and typically completes most monthly projects while adapting teachers’ processes to her own style.00:00 Meet Tina Lee-Cronkhite01:46 Show Intro Theme03:07 Tina Background04:46 Mom Artist Roots08:02 Engineering to Art11:44 Graphic Design Career13:42 Calligraphy Discovery15:41 Guild Workshops23:42 Online Classes and Fodder24:58 Studio Space Reality28:16 Displaying Finished Work29:40 Selling vs Making Joy31:09 Gifting Art Without Fear31:58 Keeping Up With Fodder School34:16 UFOs From Loving Projects36:34 Art Outside The Lessons37:58 Pickleball And Productivity39:37 Following Teachers Your Way43:10 Master Boards And Style46:20 Traditional Calligraphy Vs Trends49:44 Guilds Aging And Craft Magic53:06 Lefty Struggles And Imperfection55:50 Calligraphy Guild Nostalgia57:41 Postcards And Wrap Up

Host Wendy Solganik interviews mixed media and collage artistCrystal Marie (formerly Crystal Neubauer), author of The Art of Expressive Collage and a 2018 Racine Art Museum Artist Fellowship recipient, about her life, art, and teaching. Crystal describes moving into a Chicago Little Village live/work storefront to stay near the art scene on an artist’s budget andtraces her maker roots to a craft-filled childhood. She recounts attending a university-affiliated high school, becoming a teen parent, working up through printing-industry project management, and later burning out while raising sevenkids in a blended family. Her professional art career began in the early 2000s through eBay paper packs, Somerset Studio, blog/Flickr communities, early publications and the book A Charming Exchange, then teaching at Art & Soul. Crystal explains evolving from whimsical collage to more restrained work, discovering encaustic to preserve ephemera, coping with mold-related illness that forced her to discard her paper collection, shifting to online teaching during the pandemic, and planning Fodder School projects including a handmade hair calligraphy brush challenge and texture-based collage lessons. 00:00 Meet Crystal Marie02:26 Podcast Premise and Subscribe03:49 Crystal’s Chicago Studio Life08:26 Finding the Perfect Live Work Space13:10 Early Making Roots15:35 Scholarship to University High22:04 Teen Parenthood and Survival30:06 Creativity Through Beads and Sewing31:50 Printing Career and Moving to Chicago36:51 Brady Bunch Burnout39:36 eBay Paper Hustle to Collage41:57 Somerset Studio Spark46:59 Blog Era and First Teaching Gig49:54 Discovering Encaustic Wax53:59 Basement Studio Beginnings55:29 Shifting to Abstract Collage59:24 Selling Art Online Early01:01:12 Finding the Old Work01:04:00 Book and Name Change01:06:15 Intuition and Altering Papers01:10:45 Mold Loss and Rebuilding01:16:25 Pandemic Online Teaching Boom01:19:51 Where to Buy and Follow01:28:11 Illness and Career Upside Down01:38:30 Fodder Challenge Hair Brush01:43:05 Texture Fodder Classes Wrap

Wendy Solganik introduces season six, episode six of theShow Up or Shut Up podcast with guest Connie Fong, a longtime Fodder School member now teaching in Fodder School six. Connie, a Bay Area native and retired computer science professional who worked at IBM and in e-commerce at WilliamsSonoma, shares her lifelong crafting journey through knitting, scrapbooking, bookmaking, and mixed media, plus her love of bold black-and-white contrast, typography, and grungy pops of color influenced by artists like Robin Marie Smith. They discuss how Fodder School’s variety, pacing, and supportive community helped Connie develop her distinctive style, and her surprise atbecoming a teacher. Connie previews her Fodder Challenge whimsical paper dolls (inspired by Mindy Lacefield) and her Fodder School project: a collage-style monthly calendar using ransom letters. She also talks about learning to film online classes with help from her daughter’s former YouTube setup, selling journals on Etsy (Artful Play), daily pickleball, and her shyness about posting publicly on Instagram (@myartfulplay). 00:00 Meet Connie Fong02:01 Podcast Premise03:23 Bay Area Roots06:03 Early Crafting Life07:39 Supplies And Shopping10:25 Tech Career Path13:57 From Crafts To Mixed Media18:31 Finding Her Style25:03 Becoming A Teacher27:41 Why Fodder School Works33:00 Her Fodder Challenge Dolls35:07 Finding Your Own Style36:03 Paper Dolls Project36:30 Calendar Collage Plan37:21 Ransom Letters Method39:38 Why Make Art Calendars43:54 Storing Cutout Letters45:51 How Style Evolves50:44 Teaching Online Leap51:52 Daughter’s YouTube Journey55:15 Etsy Shop and Instagram58:49 Pickleball and Family Life01:00:17 Confidence and Closing

Host Wendy Solganik introduces season six, episode five ofthe Show Up or Shut Up podcast featuring Stefanie Hunsaker, a mixed media collage artist in northeastern Washington whose vibrant, layered portraits combine acrylic paint, fabric, scrapbook paper, and occasional embroidery and beading to explore self-love, trust, and empowerment. Stefanie shares herupbringing in eastern Washington near the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, early creative influences including stained glass and sewing, and shift from high-school photography and marketing interests to a University of Washington visual arts degree spanning photography, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, and jewelry. After years running a natural-light portrait photography business, she phased it out as her kids grew and, after moving to Spokane, found a new creative outlet through online classes that led her into portrait painting and collage. She discusses developing her portrait style over seven years, sellingoriginals and some prints via her website, challenges with marketing, preferred surfaces (mostly canvas), local art markets, and interest in more gallery opportunities. 00:00 Podcast Intro and Guest03:19 Growing Up in Washington05:02 Hanford and Stained Glass12:01 Early Crafty Roots15:40 School to Art Degree25:45 Motherhood and Scrapbooking30:16 Photography Business Era37:54 From Photos to Fine Art41:21 Starting Art Instagram42:00 Curating the Feed43:25 Finding Her Genre46:30 Seven Years of Style48:21 Chuck Close Advice51:00 ADHD and Hyperfocus52:53 Selling Originals and Prints57:25 Materials and Embroidery59:46 Kids and Art School01:04:26 Sewing Machine Renaissance01:07:07 Galleries and Local Shows01:09:38 Art Markets and Booth Setup01:11:20 Wrap Up and Thanks

Host Wendy Solganik introduces UK mixed media artist, artjournaler, bookmaker, and new Fodder School Six teacher Lisa Goddard, who lives in Sheffield near the Peak District. Lisa describes studying fine art with a focus on textiles and sculpture, feeling lost after graduating in 2006, anddiscovering art journaling through artist Jen Worden, which became a daily practice for processing emotions, experimenting, and storytelling. While working for 18 years in University of Sheffield admin (including cybersecurity),raising two daughters, and teaching aerial hoops, she kept making art, built a social-media audience, taught in-person (and later online), and left her job just after COVID to focus on art. She discusses her studio setup, favorite techniques (collage, gesso, inky marks, stamping, textiles), thoughts on shifting social media, and previews her Fodder School projects: mixed mediamessage-in-a-bottle challenge and textile scroll books on vintage wooden spools. 00:00 Meet Lisa Goddard02:06 Podcast Premise03:28 Life in Sheffield07:55 From Fine Art to Mixed Media11:41 Art Kid Origins13:45 Day Job and Family Balance15:54 Aerial Hoop Surprise18:45 Discovering Art Journaling22:01 Finding Community Online23:43 Daily Journaling Ritual24:47 Go To Techniques27:35 Sharing on Social Media29:55 Teaching Beyond Journals31:44 Process Versus Product33:23 Life After Instagram39:59 Fixing Your Instagram Feed41:58 Teaching History and Family43:13 Kids and Creative Talents45:16 Fodder School Projects47:28 Thrifting and Car Boot Sales50:40 Scroll Books on Spools53:15 Live Zoom Class Community59:05 Retreat Dreams in Nature01:02:26 Course Creation and Admin01:04:35 Boundaries and Customer Support01:10:13 DIY Course Platform Tech01:12:50 Wrap Up and Thanks

Host Wendy Solganik introduces season 6, episode 3 guestGloria Gelo, a Cleveland-raised contemporary abstract mixed media artist now based in Calgary and a new Fodder School 6 teacher. Gloria shares her Croatian immigrant family background, early love of art and typography, and how adiscouraging community college instructor derailed her confidence and pushed her into business school and corporate roles, including foreign currency trading at Citibank in New York and a creative resume-led job at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. After moving to Calgary, raising three sons, and laterdivorcing and remarrying, she received a 2018 corporate payout that enabled her to return to art full time, experiment across media, and develop a layered, minimalist collage practice using self-made papers and asemic writing. She now teaches in person and online, is gallery-represented, and previews her Fodder School “Line to Layer” challenge and a concertina book project focused on creating personal collage papers blending analog and digital methods. 00:00 Meet Gloria Gelo02:06 Podcast Intro and Format03:44 Nerves and Zoom Setup04:34 Life in Calgary06:13 Cleveland Roots and Canada10:17 Fodder School Connection11:36 Immigrant Family Story15:08 Croatian Traditions and Food20:27 Early Art Spark23:28 Art School Confidence Crash28:13 Business Pivot and Corporate Life32:13 Wall Street to LA Move34:56 Universal Studios Creativity Win36:59 LA Life and Cabinet Business38:43 Life in the Valley39:52 Business Sold Suddenly40:33 Move Back to Calgary42:16 Divorce and Remarriage43:05 Layoff Sparks Art45:00 Finding Mixed Media49:36 From Process to Selling52:33 Gallery Representation55:50 Teaching Goes Online01:00:19 Art as Communication01:08:07 Typography Origins01:13:58 Asemic Writing Tips01:16:48 Fodder School Projects01:20:49 Final Wrap and Goodbye

Host Wendy Solganik introduces Francine Dunigan as a newFodder School 6 teacher and mixed media artist known for vibrant, graphic collage using found papers, painted papers, and gel prints. Francine, based in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, shares her BFA background in communication design from Kutztown University, her shift toward fine art and fiber studies during a semester abroad in England, and how design principles shaped her visual style. She describes discovering gel printing through artists like Elizabeth St. Hilaire, creating marketable wall art and selling at local art shows, and designing stencils for Joggles. Francine discusses the complexity of resin finishing, her goals to teach more classes, and her experience navigatingendometrial cancer treatment, emphasizing self-advocacy and how art and journaling supported her during recovery. She previews teaching fussy-cut pear collage in Fodder School. 00:00 Meet Francine Dunigan02:05 Podcast Premise03:27 Joining Fodder School06:51 From Gel Prints to Collage08:33 Roots and Art School10:56 Design Skills and Marketing14:49 High School Art Foundations19:52 Making Time as a Mom21:42 Discovering Gel Printing24:03 Selling at Art Fairs31:56 Pricing and Originals37:07 Health Scare and Advocacy47:54 Art as Healing48:49 Art Through Chemo49:44 Hope After Clear Scans50:20 Tennis During Treatment51:48 Mindfulness Art Journals52:42 New Stencil Line55:48 Fodder School Pears59:00 Using Tissue Layers01:00:03 Resin Reality Check01:06:00 Bigger Work Experiments01:07:52 Color Inspiration Stories01:10:39 Teaching Goals Ahead01:17:23 Fodder School Live Event01:19:34 Quilts From Your Designs01:22:01 Closing Thanks

Season 6, Episode 1 of the Show Up or Shut Up podcastfeatures host Wendy Solganik interviewing mixed-media artist and designer Lori Siebert, a new Fodder School teacher. Lori shares early art training from age seven, her Cincinnati roots, and studying graphic design at UC’s DAAP with its co-op program. She describes founding her design firm in 1987, growing it to about 12 employees, and creating branding and illustration-based work for clients including Target, Bath & Body Works, Nickelodeon, and Universal Studios. Lori explains moving into art licensing over 20 years ago via SURTEX, how licensing works, and balancing client-driven themes with more personal work shown on Instagram. She discusses mentorship and community, building travel-teaching “street cred,” and upcoming retreats (Mexico City, Ireland, Provence, Waco, Vermont, Chautauqua, France, Connecticut). Lori previews her Fodder Challenge birds and a Fodder School fodder-flower bouquet project. 00:00 Meet Lori Siebert02:36 Podcast Premise and Intro04:50 Early Art Roots05:59 Cincinnati and Staying Put07:52 DAAP and Design Training11:45 Family Influence and High School Art16:06 From Design Firm to Big Clients21:05 Burnout and Finding Licensing22:24 How SURTEX Works25:48 Licensing Reality vs Heart Art28:24 Products in Stores and Samples32:15 Turning 60 and Choosing Fun33:08 Building Travel Teaching Retreats37:21 Mexico City and Frida House Dreams41:25 Mexico City Museums42:32 Travel Health Tips43:25 Language Barrier Hacks44:39 Street Art Vibes46:04 Starting the Design Firm48:03 DAAP Fine Art Electives49:45 Adapting the Business52:49 Handmade to Digital Workflow55:22 Ceramics Detour and Return01:00:08 Clay Practice and Selling01:01:44 Retreat Community Magic01:03:01 Upcoming Trips and Chautauqua01:05:11 Fodder Projects Birds Flowers01:08:30 Wrap Up and Next Meet