Today’s episode comes to you from Isadora Stowe and Sarah Sudhoff, two amazing artist/mothers who also happen to be Fall 2020 crit group mentors! These powerful women share their unique journeys with us and discuss everything from finding their paths in life and exploring new media to the ups and downs of running a single parent household while working as professional artists (much less during the COVID-19 pandemic, which razed even the best laid plans).
Whereas Sarah came to art after studying astronomy, considering joining the military, and then immersing herself in photography by way of journalism, Isadora was always an art-oriented child. While Isadora has always worked in a wide variety of media including video, projection mapping installations, and more, Sarah moves between photography and kinetic sculptures to literally visualize data. Though they are two very different people and two very different artists, their conversation is full of rich resonance. We cover a wide range of topics including pushing yourself beyond your creative comfort zone, “life hacks” like prioritizing exercise and incorporating children into your practice to reclaim time for art-making, and self advocacy in our lives, careers, and in general.
Advocating for yourself depends on recognizing your limitations, whether that means hiring fabricators and programmers to actualize a project to meet a deadline (as it often does for Sarah!) or even having to depend on others in ways we’re not always comfortable with. Ultimately, Isadora and Sarah demonstrate that self-advocacy is one of the most important ways to cultivate resilience through community.
See more of Isadora’s work on her website or on IG @isadorastowe. Stay tuned for an forthcoming professional practice booklet from Isadora that will help you approach goals similar to those listed above, too!
See more of Sarah’s work on her website or on IG @sarahsudhoff.
The Artist/Mother podcast is created and hosted by Kaylan Buteyn. You can see more of Kaylan’s work on her website or connect with her on Instagram @kaylanbuteyn
El Paso Museum of Art, Detail installation, 2016
