6. Art Gurl's Meagan Mahaffey on Life-Changing Bad Art

What if the thing standing between you and a creative life isn't talent — it's the belief that you need it?In this episode of The Creative Collective Podcast, Emily and Allie sit down with Meagan Mahaffey, founder of Art Gurl — a global creative wellness community that has reached people in over twenty countries and is built on one foundational belief: that creativity is not a skill reserved for artists. It's a practice that belongs to everyone.Meagan's path to building Art Gurl is not a straight line (and we think a lot of you creatives out there might relate). What brought her back to her aligned creative path was the pandemic, a pile of yarn, some weird polymer clay figurines — and the realization that making things with her hands was doing something for her anxiety that yoga and meditation weren't.In this episode, they discuss:How Meagan went from being told she'd never make it as an artist to building one of the most expansive creative wellness communities in the worldWhat "making bad art" actually means — and why removing the pressure to produce something good is the thing that makes creativity accessibleThe difference between going to a paint and sip class and actually expressing yourself — and why that distinction matters more than it soundsWhat Meagan has witnessed happen between strangers in her workshops, and why in-person creative community does something that Zoom never quite canThe five-minute daily doodle — what it is, why it works, and how consistency in creative practice starts to shift your sense of identity over timeHow Art Gurl's global community directory is trying to solve the problem of creative isolation — and why more people than you'd think could be hosting their own craft meetupsResources & Links:Art GurlArt Gurl Community DirectoryArt Gurl on Instagram (@artgurl__)Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Water-Soluble Pastels — Meagan and Emily's shared desert island supplyMake sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ or visit our ⁠website⁠ to learn more. If you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can apply ⁠here.⁠ Make sure to connect with Meagan on her Instagram or her website, and if you're local to NYC make sure to attend her incredible community events!You can find Allie on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠, and you can find Emily on ⁠Instagram⁠ or her ⁠website⁠ to learn more about all they do and stay connectedYou can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needsIf you enjoyed this episode, follow along and share it with someone who could use a little more creativity in their life.And this is your reminder that you don't have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You're welcome, as you are, in this creative community.