Want to become a full-time, financially thriving artist? In this episode of the Fork in the Road art podcast, we chat with Jason Sanders (aka Drained Eye) about how he turned his passion for art into a sustainable, creative business. We cover: 🧠 Why you should start selling your art before you feel ready 💀 How his iconic skull motif became a visual signature 💻 The power of digital art and NFTs for reach and revenue 📬 Why your email list is your #1 marketing tool 🎨 How artist residencies sha...
Jul 01, 2025•36 min•Season 5Ep. 15
I sit down with Chelsea Wade — a kids' book illustrator known for her love of animals, unique South African wildlife patterns, and vibrant visual storytelling. Chelsea shares her journey from art school to self-taught success, teaching English abroad, and eventually co-creating her first children's book with a writer from across the world. We dive deep into what it really means to thrive as an artist today — balancing creativity and business, building community online, and adapting to the evolvi...
Jun 24, 2025•33 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Alexander Notarangelo is a self-taught hyper-realistic oil painter whose mind-blowing attention to detail brings canvas to life. Alexander shares how he juggles his art practice with full-time work and Dad life—while still growing a loyal audience online. You'll discover how he balances multiple paintings at once, how he creates engaging and authentic Instagram content for artists, and his personal take on art pricing, commissions, and mental health in the creative process. 🧠 What You’ll Learn:...
May 27, 2025•38 min•Season 5Ep. 13
In this episode of the Fork in the Road podcast, host Andy Marshall speaks with artist Raheem Nelson, who is known for his work in graphic recording, digital and traditional art, and personal branding. Raheem shares insights into his creative process, the evolution of his art practice, and his collaborations with various artists, including a notable project with hip-hop artist Skyzoo. The conversation also touches on the importance of active listening in graphic recording, the role of personal s...
May 19, 2025•34 min•Season 5Ep. 12
I sit down with Ali Sabet—a globally recognised artist known for his Japanese brushwork, expressive style, and breakthrough success in the NFT art world. We explore his journey from a successful branding designer to becoming a full-time artist whose work now captivates collectors around the world. Ali shares his insights on creating art with energy and intention, painting in public spaces, and navigating the fine line between commercial success and personal fulfillment. If you're an artist, crea...
May 05, 2025•36 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Discover how stop motion animator Tortor Smith created an award-winning short film at the legendary Aardman Studios (home of Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and Chicken Run). In this episode of the Fork in the Road Podcast, Tortor shares their inspiring journey into animation, from handmade craftsmanship to building a sustainable creative career. We talk about: The creative process behind stop motion animation What it’s like to work at Aardman Independent filmmaking challenges and breakth...
Apr 29, 2025•33 min•Season 5Ep. 10
we sit down with the incredible Sue Brown—known in the horror world as Ursula Dabrowsky and in the art scene as Zanne Brown. 🎥🎨 From making gritty, crowdfunded Australian horror films to crafting bold, abstract works on canvas, Sue shares how she balances two intense creative identities—and what it really takes to build a thriving indie career across different worlds. 🔥 Topics we cover: How Sue self-financed and crowdfunded FOUR indie horror films The emotional + practical realities of ultra-...
Apr 22, 2025•35 min•Season 5Ep. 9
On this episode of the Fork in the Road Podcast, I sit down with artist and fashion designer Wildy Martinez—aka Wildflower Fields—to explore how she bridges the worlds of traditional art, AI, and NFTs while staying grounded in authenticity. We talk about the journey from physical to digital creation, the rise of Web3 communities, and the evolving challenges and opportunities artists face in today’s tech-driven creative economy. In this episode: - How Wildy discovered her artistic voice in Web3 -...
Apr 15, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 8
In this episode of the Fork in the Road Podcast, I sit down with Frank Garcia, also known online as Artemorbid, to unpack his journey as a multi-disciplinary artist navigating the worlds of visual art, music, and YouTube content creation. Frank shares how his creative path began with a guitar at 13, evolved into visual art, and later grew into a successful YouTube channel combining his passions. He talks candidly about balancing creative pursuits, dealing with burnout, staying authentic in the d...
Apr 08, 2025•36 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Can artists truly thrive in the digital age? In this episode of The Fork in the Road Between Starving and Thriving Artist podcast, we dive deep with S.R. Chappell—a poet, digital artist, and NFT creator—who shares her journey from traditional poetry to collage art, NFTs, and self-publishing. We explore: 🎨 The NFT marketplace – Real talk on selling art and making a living 🤖 AI & Creativity – How technology is reshaping the art world 📢 Print on Demand - The financial realities of print on d...
Apr 01, 2025•33 min•Season 5Ep. 6
How do you turn mural painting into a thriving art business? 🎨 In this episode of Fork in the Road Podcast, host Andy Marshall sits down with mural artist Cat Dean to discuss her journey as a full-time freelancer, the business of large-scale murals, and balancing creativity with entrepreneurship. Cat shares insights on: ✅ The evolution of mural art & painting techniques ✅ How murals act as artist billboards for new opportunities ✅ Building strong client relationships & networking for su...
Mar 25, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 5
El Paso artist Diego ‘Robot’ Martinez doesn’t just make art—he lives it. In this episode of the Fork in the Road podcast, Diego reveals the relentless work ethic, creative hustle, and strategic mindset that transformed his passion into a full-time career. We dive into: ✅ The grind of making art a viable income ✅ How community & family shaped his journey ✅ The importance of documenting the creative process ✅ AI, NFTs & the future of art ✅ The struggles of shipping artwork & sustaining...
Mar 17, 2025•35 min•Season 5Ep. 4
In this episode of the Fork in the Road podcast, Andy Marshall talks with artist and musician James Lee about the transformative power of art, creativity, and mental health. James shares his journey—how art helped him navigate childhood trauma, psychosis, and healing. He explores the role of dreams in his creative process, his experience with synesthesia, and the impact of NFTs on the future of art. This conversation highlights the importance of community, expression, and using creativity to mak...
Mar 12, 2025•35 min•Season 5Ep. 3
How do you break into painting without formal training? Artist Lissy Elliott shares her journey from political cartoons to abstract art, landing her first exhibition, and making her first sales. We dive into the power of documenting your creative journey online, finding time to create, and building meaningful connections with collectors. Lissy also reflects on the influence of her neighbor, Pro Hart—who, like her, had no formal training yet made a name for himself on the international art stage....
Mar 04, 2025•37 min•Season 5Ep. 2
How do you thrive as a musician in today’s changing industry? In this episode of Fork in the Road, host Andy Marshall reconnects with past collaborator Jason Sweeney—a prolific composer and musician who has been crafting soundscapes since the late ‘80s. From underground bands (The Millards, Pretty Boy Crossover) to composing for theatre, Jason shares insights on collaboration, artistic vision, and surviving outside the mainstream music industry. If you’re a musician, artist, or creative navigati...
Feb 25, 2025•36 min•Season 5Ep. 1
What’s a job you’d like to do for just one day?
May 05, 2024•9 min•Season 4Ep. 3
The one quote that has stuck with me, and driven me as a creator throughout my life.
Apr 30, 2024•7 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Discover the benefits of getting out in nature and how it can help you become a thriving artist
Apr 28, 2024•13 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Ever feel like your blank page or blank canvas is plotting against your happiness? Fear not, fellow artist! Embrace the quirks, work with your imperfections and enjoy the chaos. Because in a future of perfect AI creations, humans are going to be able to provide a little humanity with their imperfections, spelling errors and lived experiences. Experiment with colors like a mischievous rainbow. Don’t stick to the basics; let your imagination run wild. Remember, even Picasso had his blue period, bu...
Mar 27, 2024•8 min•Season 3Ep. 10
After buying our cafe/art gallery almost one year ago, I’ve virtually had no time to relax. The business was open seven days a week and open from six every morning. So I’ve been working those hours as well as being a husband and parent to our two young girls. Needless to say my illustration work has been on the back burner for a good part of that year. Only recently I’ve been finding time to get back into my art. Since getting back into illustrating I’ve noticed a definite shift in my mood. I’ve...
Nov 02, 2023•5 min•Season 3Ep. 9
I should be finishing my kids book, but instead I’m writing this blog post. One word I’d like to give up is should, ‘I should really do that’ . The word ‘should’ feels like an obligation to do something that you inevitably won’t enjoy even though you know you’ll be better off if you did it. I think the words you use externally and internally are powerful and can have you believing something negative that isn’t real. The positive to that is, if you choose your words carefully they may benefit you...
Nov 01, 2023•6 min•Season 3Ep. 8
I guess I do have a grudge dating back to my early years in school. It’s not really with anyone or anything, It’s more of an opinion widely held by the community I grew up in, where being an artist was something that was only considered to be a hobby. It certainly wasn’t considered to be something you could do as a living. Unless you wanted to be a designer or an architect. So despite having a keen interest in art, I decided to forget about doing what I loved to follow a more conventional career...
Oct 19, 2023•5 min•Season 3Ep. 7
I’ve never been one to get excited about travelling. I hate planes, confined spaces and crowds. And if I wanted to have a relaxing holiday, I definitely wouldn’t journey to another part of the world. But the very few times I have traveled, my attention has always been drawn to the creativity and artistic skill embedded in the history of other cultures. And at the times certain works were created I’m not sure what thought was given to how their art was going to span time, but so much has. I’m not...
Oct 09, 2023•5 min•Season 3Ep. 6
My dream home would have to include an art studio. I’ve never had an art studio so it’s an exciting new concept for me. But rather than it being this big mess of works, collected objects and art clutter, I think my art studio would be very minimalist along with my house. Because external clutter for me is a direct reflection of the clutter that’s in my head. When I think of the space it would have large windows that bring nature in, and in good weather be opened up to basically turn the space in...
Oct 08, 2023•8 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Apparently it takes 21 days to create a habit and 90 days to make something a permanent lifestyle change. So I’ve got a goal to work towards with my ‘make art everyday’ challenge that I have set myself. As my previous blog post stated I just need to start my art everyday and do a minimum of five minutes on the piece I’m currently working on. Then over time, if I only manage five minutes a day I’ll still start to see my artwork advancing. When illustrating the Super Scout kids book for Elijah and...
Sep 25, 2023•8 min•Season 3Ep. 4
There are so many benefits to making art everyday. For me creating is something that I need to do for my mental health, because like so many creative people if you aren’t creating you become miserable. This can take many forms; from sketching to painting to writing a blog post, or even marketing your artwork. I have personally started a routine where I sketch or do digital illustration work everyday, even on my busiest and most distracting days. I’ve created a discipline where I pick up the penc...
Sep 22, 2023•5 min•Season 3Ep. 3
After sharing my version of art guilt on my previous blog what I didn’t expect was that virtually everyone has an opposite version of art guilt. They feel guilty when they don’t create art, not when they do. I imagine either version is potentially damaging and exposes the fact that almost all creators are in a state of guilt for spending too much time or not enough time on their art. But one thing can be certain is that the life of a creator is happier and more fulfilled when you are actually cr...
Sep 21, 2023•5 min•Season 3Ep. 2
The shame. The guilt. It ain’t a way for fully grown adult to behave.Surely there’s something more productive you can be doing with your time. Cleaning the house, Folding the tea towels, Grooming the Guinea Pigs or emptying the kitty litter. Surely there’s a better use of your time rather than painting, drawing and playing like some kind of child.. That’s art guilt. …Maybe if I could make money from it, I could justify the ridiculous waste of time. … but do you really need to get paid to justify...
Sep 19, 2023•7 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Join myself and Dawn Petty as we talk about Art therapy and her broad range of traditional and digital art styles that include embracing the new landscape of NFT’s on VoiceHQ. Dawn on VoiceHQ https://www.voice.com/verset420 - Dawn on Instagram https://instagram.com/dawnpaints - Dawn on Twitter https://twitter.com/verset420?s=21&t=VkNhzFjbWMYeQz63jRG4bA
May 24, 2022•55 min•Season 2Ep. 5
On today’s podcast I chat with NFT artist Tray Fisk about authenticity, supporting the art community around you and how to price your NFTs. We are both creating art on the new platform VoiceHQ and we talk a lot about the new and exciting space and community. We also talk a lot about Tray’s piece titled Su - https://www.voice.com/creation/100000001057467 Check out Tray Fisk on VoiceHQ - https://www.voice.com/trayfisk Tray Fisk Twitter - https://twitter.com/trayfiskart Tray Fisk Instagram - https:...
May 12, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 4
