Artist, author, and creative leader Ekaterina Popova joins Victoria to explore the evolution of her creative practice, from her childhood in Russia to building an expansive career as a painter, mentor, and founder of Create! Magazine. Ekaterina reflects on the women who shaped her early artistic identity, the emotional foundations of her work, and the challenges and rewards of leading a growing creative community. She and Victoria discuss intuition, experimentation, and the inner permission artists need to grow, shift, and embrace play throughout their careers.

Here’s what we discuss:

1. Developing an artistic voice shaped by memory, cultural transition, and familial influence.
2. Building Create! Magazine, supporting artists, and navigating the responsibilities of leadership.
3. Embracing “ugly” phases, intuitive sketching, and listening to inner alignment.
4. Balancing discipline and devotion while fostering freedom, curiosity, and authentic creative evolution.

About Kat -

Ekaterina Popova is a Russian-born artist whose contemporary oil paintings explore themes of home, belonging, and identity. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Kutztown University in 2011, she has continued to develop her studio practice and share her work through exhibitions across the U.S. and internationally. Inspired by post-impressionism, fauvism, and magical realism, Popova’s paintings evoke mood and emotion through richly textured interiors and landscapes. Her decade-long exploration of home and place reflects a deep connection to personal narrative and the meaning of belonging. Her work has been featured in galleries including Cohle Gallery in Paris and Menorca, The Painting Center in New York, James Oliver Gallery, Paradigm Gallery, and more. 

Popova’s journey and work have been highlighted in publications such as Colossal, Flow Magazine, Beautiful Bizarre, American Art Collector, The Jealous Curator, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She has participated in residencies at Centre Pompadour in France, NES Residency in Iceland, and the Skopelos Foundation for the Arts in Greece, all of which have contributed to her evolving studio practice. Based in Philadelphia at 1241 Carpenter Street Studios, Popova is also the founder of Create! Magazine and Art Queens and the host of the Art & Cocktails podcast. She has co-authored The Complete Smartist Guide and The Creative Business Handbook, helping artists build sustainable art careers.

Website: katerinapopova.com + createmagazine.co + paintwithkat.com

IG: @katerinaspopova @createmagazine

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