Clare Celeste Börsch: Enchanted ecosystems

American collage and installation artist Clare Celeste Börsch, based in Berlin, creates immersive works from found and open-source naturalist illustrations, exploring biodiversity, memory and loss. In this conversation, she traces her evolution from paper collage to large-scale installation, and speaks candidly about motherhood, climate anxiety, and learning to value her work as her practice has grown.

Show Notes

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Closing the gap between taste and skill. You'll discover how Clare's decade-long journey from collage hobbyist to installation artist reflects Ira Glass's idea of "the gap" – and what it takes to keep working until your output finally matches your vision.

• Letting materials evolve with your practice. This episode shows how a shift from found paper to open-source digital imagery, and eventually fabric and rendering software, opened up new scale and possibility without losing the heart of the work.

• Learning to value your own work. Clare's experience of raising her prices, setting a non-negotiable artist fee, and slowing down client responses offers a practical look at how artists can move from undercharging to sustainable, respected practice.

• Balancing commercial work with environmental purpose. You'll hear how financial stability through commercial commissions can create the freedom to take on pro bono work for causes that matter, rather than forcing every project to carry the full weight of impact.

• Choosing presence over hope. Clare's reflections on climate anxiety and her panic disorder reveal how acceptance and self-compassion, rather than optimism, can be the foundation for a sustainable, grounded creative life.

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

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Explore the images from this episode: