8 lessons on art-making from the most creative people I know
I interviewed some of my favorite artists and creators last year and here's what I learned
Sobremesa is the interview series of this newsletter, where I feature creators and artists across different industries. I chose this name because I wanted the space to feel less like a formal interview and more like an intimate conversation with a friend. The kind that happens after a good meal and maybe a couple of drinks. Sobremesa is about curiosity, honesty, and letting conversations wander.
In the first season, I featured some of my favorite illustrators, designers, prop stylists, animators, and a baker! The second season comes out later this month, and I can’t wait to share the conversations I’ve been having recently with painters, children’s book writers, florists, and even my favorite YouTuber of all time. Can you guess who?
You know how much I value going back to previous work and looking for patterns. There were many valuable insights worth revisiting from the first round of conversations. If you have been following this series, you may know that I always ask folks about their favorite ways to search for inspiration outside the internet. Below you’ll find a compilation of all the places these artists turn to for creative inspiration, beyond scrolling online. Here is a recap of the first batch of Sobremesa interviews. Enjoy!
A year of Sobremesa: conversations with the most creative people I know
Hiller Goodspeed, artist and illustrator based in Vancouver
Advice on creating things:
I used to think I had to wait for things to happen for other things to happen—that everything required a mountain of prerequisites. I’ve learned that none of that is true. No one knows what they’re doing initially, but they do it anyway. And then they do it again, because why not?
When I’m working, I try not to think about anything other than the task at hand. If you enjoy what you’re doing and do it for yourself, it will be imbued with an unmistakable you-ness. The people you love will listen to your EP, taste your bruschetta, or look over your garden and know that no one else could have done it that way.
Ideas come and go, seemingly from the ether. I’ve learned I have to direct my consciousness to a certain mental space—like finding a good fishing spot—and wait. If I hang out there long enough, something might happen.
Where Hiller likes to search for inspiration outside the internet:
I like to ride my bike, and walk around my neighbourhood. I assign myself missions that encourage exploration of unknown spaces. I love going to the Denman Place Mall to be inspired. I love spending time in grocery stores and wandering through alleys looking for weird, discarded stuff.
I live close to Stanley Park and have spent a lot of time in the forest just “taking it in”. I take photos of everything I find interesting and constantly go back to reference things I have encountered.
Sobremesa with Hiller Goodspeed
I am an American-Canadian artist and illustrator. I live in Vancouver, BC. I like to make, but what I make is always changing. I like to self-publish and do a lot of that. Mostly that, I would say. I am a generally creative person. I am still learning a lot, every day.
Francesca Farris, food systems enthusiast and aspiring shepherd based in Southern Italy
Thoughts on starting from scratch in a new country:
A job, whether full-time or not, inevitably launches you into a community. It gives you a place to belong and allows people to recognize you as someone who is trying. I find that once you consistently show up, people will start to include you, and things will start to flow naturally.
When I got to Sardinia, I worked with a shepherd in the mornings, helping him shear his sheep. He used to pay me with cheese and vegetables. I also worked as a bar waitress in the evening, and this was great practice as I got to talk to strangers and completely let go of my fear and embarrassment of being wrong. I realized from the moment I opened my mouth that Italians knew I wasn’t a native speaker, but for me, this is a point of pride—that I can speak more than one language and be playful with it.
Favorite places to seek inspiration offline:
Participating observer in small-town events. From patron saint festivals to fashion shows and talent shows, I love the energy and planning people put toward preserving tradition—and inventing tradition. All for the sake of gathering and sharing experiences as a community.
Maximalist shops: Stores packed to the ceiling that require a ladder for the store attendant to reach the goods. In Palermo, there is an inspiring fabric store and a bookstore called La Stanza Di Carta. I love the maximalist contrast to today’s minimal, simplistic aesthetics. I find the organized chaos very exciting.
Sobremesa with Francesca Farris
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I identify as an informal culinary anthropologist, food systems enthusiast, aspiring shepherd, and professional eater. I spend my time thinking and exploring foodways and traditions (new and old!) as they manifest across the Italian islands, Sicily and Sardinia.
Sandy Sanchez, writer, brand strategist, and content creator based in Brooklyn
Sandy on creating a space that inspires you to create:
Gathering inspiration online can be a great reference. You might like how someone is styling their rug, incorporating color into their living room, or framing their art—but always think about how that would apply to your space. And when you see what others are purchasing, it’s important to ask yourself: Do I actually want that, or do I just want it because everyone has it?
Her favorite places to seek inspiration offline:
Movies: I’m a member at Metrograph and try to see a movie every month. I also go to my neighborhood theater—it’s kind of grungy and old, but so comforting to see a movie on a random weekday.
Historic home tours: I recently visited Donald Judd’s home in SoHo, and the guided tour was fascinating. Home tours are one of my favorite activities—nothing beats seeing these spaces in person and how artists actually lived.
Sobremesa with Sandy Sanchez
I’m a writer, brand strategist, and content creator based in Brooklyn. I love writing about interiors, culture, and everyday delights for my newsletter, Small Pleasures, and about home and design for publications like Architectural Digest.
Andrew Hurt, multidisciplinary artist and cook based in Vancouver
The mysterious realm of ideas and how they land in our brain:
When I get an idea for something, it usually just pops into my head out of nowhere—kind of like how David Lynch relates to creativity when he says, “An idea is like catching a big fish.” Some weeks I have no ideas at all, but I keep fishing. Then randomly I’ll get something, and when it appears, one medium usually stands out in front of the others.
I wish I could say I’m able to sit down and just come up with ideas and choose a medium at my own discretion—that would be sick. But usually, an idea just slaps me in the face out of nowhere, with the medium already in place.
Where Andy finds inspiration outside the internet:
Exploring the city I live in: I love going to Chinatown and into the markets and seeing the old butchers behind the counter doing their thing. Food is the core of any community, and when you surround yourself with food, you surround yourself with stories—and the faces that make up a neighborhood. That always inspires me.
Sobremesa with Andrew Hurt
My name is Andy, I go by the artist name Wharfie Boy and I’m from Kingston, Ontario. I moved to Vancouver during the pandemic, and it was then that I started painting and drawing for the first time since I was a toddler, and I fell back in love with it. I work as a cook and I love to draw any free chance I get, but both are passions of mine.
Lisa Cyang, art director, set designer, and photographer based in Montreal
Advice on starting a career in prop styling/photography
Don’t be scared to reach out to people whose work you like. In terms of practice, surround yourself with things you like—utensils you find interesting, rocks with nice shapes, desserts you find beautiful. Doing this might inspire you to start shooting. Exercising your imagination and putting it into practice is the best way to understand your style and strengthen your eye.
