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 world
What "making bad art" actually means — and why removing the pressure to produce something good is the thing that makes creativity accessible
The difference between going to a paint and sip class and actually expressing yourself — and why that distinction matters more than it sounds
What Meagan has witnessed happen between strangers in her workshops, and why in-person creative community does something that Zoom never quite can
The five-minute daily doodle — what it is, why it works, and how consistency in creative practice starts to shift your sense of identity over time
How 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 meetups
Resources & Links:
Art Gurl on Instagram (@artgurl__)
Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Water-Soluble Pastels — Meagan and Emily's shared desert island supply
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.
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 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.