Making through the mess with Cas Holmes and Clarissa Callesen

Show Notes

Takeaways from this episode:

• Art as emotional first aid.

  Both Cas and Clarissa have turned to creativity in moments of deep personal difficulty from caregiving through illness to enduring mental health challenges. Their stories remind us that making can be a form of tending, not just to others, but to ourselves.

• The radical beauty of the overlooked. 

  Working with discarded materials and found objects, both artists embrace what’s been deemed unsightly or useless. In doing so, they reclaim stories, honour hidden histories and offer a potent metaphor for self-acceptance.

• Slowness, repetition and the body.

  Stitching, for both artists, is more than technique — it’s a way to stay present, regulate emotion, and tap into something ancestral. Through repetition and touch, they find calm, memory and meaning in each quiet motion.

• Creativity as courage.

  To create honestly is to be vulnerable. Cas and Clarissa speak candidly about the courage it takes not only to make, but to share, especially when confronting pain, stigma or grief. Their message? Protect your creativity. Nurture it until it grows strong.

   

• Making without outcome.

  In a world obsessed with results, both artists champion the value of process over product. Whether stitching in a hospital room or salvaging scraps from the street, their work speaks to the quiet power of simply beginning and the healing that can happen along the way.

Bonus

Download your 10-page reflection journal and use it to help nurture your creativity in challenging times.

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Explore the artwork from this episode below

During the interview, we shared some images of Cas and Clarissa’s artwork. Since you’re listening to the podcast version, we’ve made some images available for you below.