The Creative Collective cover art

The Creative Collective

The Creative Collective

By: Allie Joy and Emily Sharp
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The Creative Collective Podcast is an inviting space where we explore how creativity can weave its way into everyday life and help us feel more connected to ourselves and others. Hosted by licensed art therapists Allie Joy and Emily Sharp, it’s rooted in one simple belief: you don’t have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. You just need a little curiosity and a willingness to begin. Each week, we share honest conversations and practical tools to support a creative life that feels sustainable, accessible, and truly yours. Welcome to your creative community.Allie Joy and Emily Sharp Art
Episodes
  • 7. Creative Check-In: How Creative Retreats Changed the Way We Want to Travel

    7. Creative Check-In: How Creative Retreats Changed the Way We Want to Travel
    Jun 29 2026

    What if the most restorative thing you can do while traveling isn't simply relaxing, but making something — surrounded by people, in creative community, seeing the world (and yourself) a little differently than when you arrived?


    In this Creative Check-In episode of The Creative Collective Podcast, Emily and Allie recap their recent trip to Folegandros, Greece — a Creative Club retreat Emily co-hosts, and the first one Allie has attended. Morning swims, linoleum stamp carving, watercolor doodles made with actual ocean water, and a group printmaking poster that everyone got to take a piece of home — this episode is part travelogue, part reflection on why retreats like this are having a real moment right now.


    In this episode, they discuss:

    • What it's like to experience a creative retreat for the first time as a guest instead of a host
    • Why the loosest, least scheduled parts of the day ended up being the most restorative
    • The group printmaking project that felt reminiscent of a high school yearbook (mermaid cats included)
    • Why creative retreats are becoming the new version of the girls' trip — and why phone-free, analog experiences are popping up all over the place
    • What it means to let yourself be positively creatively influenced by the people around you
    • A challenge for anyone who can't book a flight to Greece this week, but still wants a piece of what this trip gave them


    Resources & Links:

    • Jennifer Chiles - Creative Club retreat co-host
    • SPINA - Our dream getaway spot in Folegandros, Greece
    • Monica McNeeley - Allie's travel buddy and fellow therapist
    • Paige Bradford - watercolor meditation and Hooray Art Studio owner
    • Sakura Koi travel watercolor set - our favorite for art on the go!
    • Speedball linoleum starter kit for printmaking


    Make 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.⁠


    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 connected


    You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs


    If 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.
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    34 mins
  • 6. Art Gurl's Meagan Mahaffy on Life-Changing Bad Art

    6. Art Gurl's Meagan Mahaffy on Life-Changing Bad Art
    Jun 22 2026
    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 Mahaffy, 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.
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    55 mins
  • 5. Creative Check-In: Finding Your Creative Community (And Actually Showing Up For It)

    5. Creative Check-In: Finding Your Creative Community (And Actually Showing Up For It)
    Jun 15 2026

    Are you craving creative community — but not quite sure where to find it, how to build it, or why it feels harder to hold onto as an adult?


    In this Creative Check-In episode of The Creative Collective Podcast, Emily and Allie get into one of the topics closest to both of their hearts: creative community. What it actually looks like, why so many people are craving it right now, and what gets in the way of (finding or building) the kind of community that actually fits.


    They draw on their own experiences hosting creative events, art groups, and community spaces to talk about what happens when people create together, and why it goes so much deeper than just making something in the same room.


    In this episode, they discuss:

    • Why loneliness is part of what's underneath why people show up to creative events, and what one study says about feelings of lonliness
    • The difference between creative communities built around learning a skill and ones built around connection — and why that distinction changes everything
    • What it means to not just receive from your community, but to give back to it — and why most people skip that part
    • How to figure out what you actually want from creative community (not what you think you should want)
    • What to do when you've drifted from your creative community — and why reaching back out is almost always simpler than your brain tells you it will be
    • Why you don't need credentials, training, or a polished event to start something — and what it looks like to begin small


    Resources & Links:

    • American Psychological Association (APA) — Stress in America 2025 survey
    • Metalsmith jewelry workshop in Connecticut
    • Alma for Therapists
    • Jane for Therapists
    • Gluten Tag - gluten free treats in Copenhagen


    Make 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.⁠

    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 connected


    You can find Austin on ⁠Instagram⁠ for all of your podcasting and musical needs


    If 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.
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
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