Q&A: September 2025

It’s time for my first monthly Q&A! Sorry if the audio’s a little shaky in some places, still getting used to my new wireless mic. 🙄Here are the questions I’m answering in this one:00:58 - “If you’re just getting started with Substack as an artist, and have no current following, where would you start?”03:02 - “Why did you stop the podcast?”07:55 - "I know you have been back and forth between using Substack, or a blog on your own website and a newsletter and would love to have your insights."13:32 - "Could you share if you have a spiritual practice, like meditation? Or how have you developed and strengthen your calm attitude to life?"17:42 - "Do you mostly create your art at home in the studio or also sometimes outdoors? Since you mainly paint birds and other wildlife, I was wondering if you ever draw or paint outside in nature itself and how that differs for you from creating in the studio (differences in mindset, approach, techniques, etc)."20:58 - "How do you mentally re-engage in creative process when noise and chaos of life/world feels like too much too muchness?"23:49 - "I've seen how you practice by sketching but how long in a typical day do you sketch for? Also do you complete an artwork in one day or keep coming back to it?"Things mentioned:My podcastDarren Woodhead on YouTubeBeyond Anxiety by Martha BeckMy real-time sketching videos on YouTubeThank you to everyone who left me questions! 🙏🏻 And if you didn’t get the opportunity this month, stay tuned for next month’s Q&A invitation. Everyone will be able to send in questions, but paying subscribers will get priority focus if I can’t respond to all of them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit louisestigell.substack.com

What do you do when you want to get creative work done, but really don't feel like it? When you pace for hours around a project. When you're feeling uninspired, and unmotivated. When you're not in the mood to create, but you want to be.I received a voice message from a fellow creative about this topic, and in this episode I share my thoughts on inspiration, and my best tips for making yourself inspired whenever you need to.Mentioned:Steven Pressfield - The War of ArtNeil Gaiman writing routineMy essay: The tough love guide to curing writer's blockWant to leave me a message for the show?Email me your thoughts or questions at [email protected] or better yet, leave a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/thecalmcreative. I would love to hear from you!About the podcast:The Calm Creative is a podcast about making a living on your art, without burning out or going insane. With your host Louise Stigell. To get shownotes and other content via email, and join my community of creatives, subscribe at louisestigell.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit louisestigell.substack.com

What does a slower, calmer, deeper creative practice look like? It's something I've thought about since reading Cal Newport's latest book Slow Productivity. So in this episode, I dive into the key points of the book, my thoughts on them, and how they pertain to creatives, today. What does it means to create work you're proud of? And how can we create our best work amidst the hustle culture we're all forced to operate in?Also, some thoughts on fiction writing and my decision to start work on a novel...Links:NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)Cal Newport - Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without BurnoutCal Newport interviewed on Tim Ferriss’s podcastCal Newport interviewed on Rich Roll’s podcastCal Newport interviewed on Andrew Huberman’s podcastWant to leave me questions for the upcoming Q&A episode?Email me at [email protected], leave a comment on this episode on YouTube, or if you're a premium subscriber on Substack, leave me a comment there. You can ask me anything you're curious about, on-topic or off-topic!About the podcast:The Calm Creative is a podcast about making a living on your art, without burning out or going insane. With your host Louise Stigell. To get shownotes and other content via email, and join my community of creatives, subscribe at louisestigell.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit louisestigell.substack.com

In this episode, I answer my first ever voice message sent in my a listener. The question is about wanting to quit social media as a musician, and how to deal with the fear of missing out on opportunities. This is such a relatable issue, and I loved delving deeper into it. I talk about my own struggles with social media FOMO, and my best strategies for leaving social media behind, without anxiety and doubt.Want to leave me a message for the show?Email me your thoughts or questions at [email protected] or better yet, leave a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/thecalmcreative. I would love to hear from you!About the podcast:The Calm Creative is a podcast about making a living on your art, without burning out or going insane. With your host Louise Stigell. To get shownotes and other content via email, and join my community of creatives, subscribe at louisestigell.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit louisestigell.substack.com

In this episode, I discuss the pros and cons of building a business around a creative craft or skill. I challenge the notion of “follow your passion” and “cash in on your creativity” that’s been advertised by entrepreneurs and self-help gurus since I was in my early twenties. I talk about the internalized capitalism that drives us to monetize all of our creative skills with wild abandon, and the toll that can take if we’re not careful. What we should think about before starting a creative business, and how to evaluate our business idea beforehand to determine if it’s worth pursuing. And finally, I make a case for creative hobbies in general - the kind that are shamelessly unprofitable and just for our own enjoyment. 😊Want to leave me a message for the show?Email me your thoughts or questions at [email protected] or better yet, leave a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/thecalmcreative. I would love to hear from you!About the podcast:The Calm Creative is a podcast about making a living on your art, without burning out or going insane. With your host Louise Stigell. To get shownotes and other content via email, and join my community of creatives, subscribe at louisestigell.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit louisestigell.substack.com

In this episode, I talk about a personality trait that has defined (and haunted) me all my life, and something I often get questions about: being multi-passionate. Having many different creative skills and interests, and feeling torn between them. I discuss:- What this trait really is, and what it means.- When having multiple creative passions is a problem, and when it's not.- What to do if you want to start a creative business but are struggling to choose the right idea.- How to combine two or more of your passions into one career or job.- How to minimize the downsides of being multi-passionate- How to make the most of your multi-passionate nature. (And stop feeling ashamed of it.)Links:Barbara Sher's websiteBarbara Sher - I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It WasBarbara Sher - It's Only Too Late If You Don't Start NowBarbara Sher - Refuse To ChooseMy essay on being multi-passionateMy video about being multi-passionateBook a 1:1 call with meWant to leave me a message for the show?Email me your thoughts or questions at [email protected] or better yet, leave a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/thecalmcreative. I would love to hear from you!About the podcast:The Calm Creative is a podcast about making a living on your art, without burning out or going insane. With your host Louise Stigell. To get shownotes and other content via email, and join my community of creatives, subscribe at louisestigell.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit louisestigell.substack.com

In this first episode of the podcast, I tell you more about me, my background, and what my goals and hopes are for this podcast.Mentioned:My YouTube channelCal Newport - Deep WorkCal Newport - Digital MinimalismJohann Hari - Stolen FocusWant to leave me a message for the show?Email me your thoughts or questions at [email protected] or leave a voice message at https://www.speakpipe.com/thecalmcreative.About the podcast:The Calm Creative is a podcast about making a living on your art, without burning out or going insane. With your host Louise Stigell. To get shownotes and other content via email, and join my community of creatives, subscribe at louisestigell.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit louisestigell.substack.com

This is a trailer for my new podcast The Calm Creative! Get shownotes and updates at https://louisestigell.substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit louisestigell.substack.com