It's evening, everyone's finally in bed, and you should be able to relax. But your brain won't stop. The racing thoughts, the tight chest, the constant hum of worry underneath everything you do. If you've noticed that your anxiety quiets when you're stitching, that the repetitive motion helps you breathe again, that working with your hands brings you back to the present moment—there's actually a reason for that.

In this episode, Kathleen explores the connection between hand crafts and anxiety management, sharing both the science behind why crafting calms an anxious brain and her personal experience using embroidery as a tool for regulation. You'll discover practical strategies for using your creative practice when anxiety hits, what to do when even crafting feels overwhelming, and how to build a creative practice that specifically supports your mental health.

You'll hear about:

1. Why your brain won't stop (and what anxiety looks and feels like for creative moms)
2. The science behind why crafting calms anxiety (repetitive motion, bilateral stimulation, grounding)
3. Kathleen's personal story with anxiety and how embroidery became her regulation tool
4. How to intentionally use crafting for anxiety management (accessible, simple, sensory-focused)
5. What to do when even crafting feels overwhelming (lowering the bar, five-minute approach)
6. Creating an anxiety-soothing practice (designated projects, calming rituals)
7. What this practice gives you over time (confidence, evidence, healthy coping)
8. An important note about professional help (crafting is a tool, not a replacement for therapy)

Takeaway: Hand crafts like embroidery aren't just hobbies—they're tools for managing anxiety and regulating your nervous system. When your thoughts are racing and everything feels chaotic, sometimes the answer is as simple as picking up your needle and making one stitch, then another, then another. Crafting gives your anxious brain something concrete to focus on, interrupts the worry spiral, and grounds you in the present moment. You're not alone, and you have more tools than you think.

1. Start stitching with the Stitch Deck
2. Free DIY name sweater video tutorial
3. Free Canva templates to create DIY name designs
4. Check out the shop: artsylyons.shop
5. Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on

You've tried to establish a creative routine a dozen times, and every time it feels like just another thing on your to-do list. What if the problem isn't your discipline—it's that you're thinking in terms of routines when you need rituals instead?

In this episode, Kathleen explores the difference between routines (which are about efficiency) and rituals (which are about meaning)—and why that difference changes everything for your creative practice. You'll discover why lighting a candle before you stitch transforms obligation into invitation, how to create rituals that actually fit your life, and why the simple act of showing up can become the most powerful ritual of all.

You'll hear about:

1. The crucial difference between routines and rituals (and why it matters for creativity)
2. Why rituals make creativity stick when routines don't
3. Kathleen's personal creative rituals (evening wind-down, Sunday morning create, first stitch pause)
4. How to create rituals that work for you (sensory cues, transitions, presence)
5. Small ritual ideas you can try today (gratitude start, boundary markers, closing ceremonies)
6. When and how to let rituals evolve as your life changes
7. The difference between rituals and perfectionism (one invites, one demands)
8. The most important ritual: simply showing up

Takeaway: Routines are about efficiency. Rituals are about meaning. When you shift from "I should stitch for 20 minutes today" to creating sacred containers for your creativity, everything changes. Your creative practice becomes something you honor, not something you check off. Start small, make it meaningful to you, and remember: the most powerful ritual is simply showing up.

1. Start stitching with the Stitch Deck
2. Free DIY name sweater video tutorial
3. Free Canva templates to create DIY name designs
4. Check out the shop: artsylyons.shop
5. Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more mamas who need this community.

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to The Artsy Ambition...

Scrolling through Instagram craft rooms with perfect lighting and organized supplies can make you feel like you need a dedicated studio to be a "real" artist. But here's the truth: some of the most beautiful, meaningful creative work happens on kitchen tables, in corners of bedrooms, on couches with kids nearby.

In this episode, Kathleen shares how she's run her embroidery business from her kitchen table for years, why creating in shared spaces actually has advantages you might not realize, and exactly how to set up a functional creative practice in whatever space you have right now. This is permission to stop waiting for perfect conditions and start creating in the middle of real, messy life.

You'll hear about:

1. Why the "studio myth" keeps us waiting (and why it's holding you back)
2. What creativity actually looks like in real life (kitchen tables, couch corners, baskets)
3. Practical strategies for making it work in small or shared spaces
4. How to protect your creative practice when your family shares your space
5. The surprising advantages of creating in the middle of everything else
6. Kathleen's actual kitchen table setup (spoiler: it's not glamorous)
7. How to start exactly where you are tonight—no studio required

Takeaway: The perfect creative space is the one you actually use. You don't need a dedicated studio, elaborate storage, or ideal conditions. You just need a basket, a corner, and a willingness to create in the middle of real life. Stop waiting for someday and start where you are right now—because that's exactly where the magic happens.

1. Start stitching with the Stitch Deck
2. Free DIY name sweater video tutorial
3. Free Canva templates to create DIY name designs
4. Check out the shop: artsylyons.shop
5. Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more mamas who need this community.

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to The Artsy Ambition Podcast! See you next week!

Being touched out is real, exhausting, and rarely talked about in creative spaces. In this episode, Kathleen gets honest about what it's like to maintain a creative practice when you're physically and emotionally depleted—and why creativity might be exactly what you need in those hardest moments.

You'll discover why embroidery can actually help regulate your nervous system when you're overstimulated, what creativity looks like when you're barely holding it together (spoiler: it's messy and imperfect), and how to make creating stupidly easy on your hardest days. This is permission to show up exhausted, to make ugly work, and to believe that three stitches count just as much as a finished masterpiece.

You'll hear about:

1. What being "touched out" really means and why it's so depleting
2. Why creativity matters even more when you're exhausted (it's not what you think)
3. What creativity actually looks like when you're depleted (three stitches, ugly work, giving up halfway)
4. How to make creativity stupidly easy when you have zero energy
5. When you need permission to do nothing instead of forcing creativity
6. What this hard season is teaching you about your creative identity
7. The two-stitch rule and other practical ideas for touched-out mamas

Takeaway: You don't have to create anything today. But if you want to—if somewhere underneath the exhaustion there's a voice saying "I miss making things"—you can. Three messy stitches count. Ugly work counts. You showing up exhausted and trying anyway counts most of all. Your creativity isn't dependent on perfect conditions or finished products. It's part of who you are, even in the hardest seasons.

1. Start stitching with the Stitch Deck
2. Free DIY name sweater video tutorial
3. Free Canva templates to create DIY name designs
4. Check out the shop: artsylyons.shop
5. Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more mamas who need this community.

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to The Artsy Ambition Podcast! See you next week!

The average person picks up their phone 96 times a day. We're scrolling, comparing, consuming—and wondering why we're all so exhausted. In this episode, Kathleen explores why choosing a slow hobby in our fast-scroll world is actually a radical act of self-care, and how slowing down might be the most productive thing you do all week.

You'll discover the science behind why repetitive creative practices like embroidery restore us, how to start even when you feel like you don't have time, and why reclaiming your attention from the endless scroll is one of the most important things you can do for your well-being. This is permission to slow down, mama.

You'll hear about:

• Why our brains are craving slowness (and what happens when we keep ignoring that need)
• Why choosing slow is a counter-cultural act of resistance against hustle culture
• What slow hobbies give us that scrolling never will (hint: it's more than a finished project)
• How to start with just ten minutes—no big time chunks required
• Permission to do something just for you without guilt or apology

Takeaway: Choosing a slow hobby isn't opting out of important work—it might be the most important work you can do. You're not being selfish by spending time on something that's just for you. You're reclaiming your attention, protecting your creativity, and modeling for your children that it's okay to do things simply because they bring you peace.

• Start stitching with the Stitch Deck
• Free DIY name sweater video tutorial
• Free Canva templates to create DIY name designs
• Check out the shop: artsylyons.shop
• Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons

Think you need hours of uninterrupted time to be creative? This episode will change your mind. Kathleen shares why waiting for "enough time" keeps you stuck, and how five-minute creative practices can transform your relationship with creativity as a busy mom.

You'll discover six practical rituals that fit into your real life—from passenger seat stitches to scribble drawing play—plus the exact strategies to make them stick. Because creativity doesn't have to be all or nothing, mama. You can be both present with your family and connected to your creative self, five minutes at a time.

You'll hear about:

• Why five minutes of actual creating beats an hour of waiting for perfect conditions
• Six practical creative rituals (passenger seat stitch, waiting room sketch, family time stitch, scribble drawing play, evening wind-down, Sunday planning)
• How to make creativity stupidly easy to start with habit stacking
• Why three messy stitches count just as much as a finished masterpiece
• How tiny creative moments actually make you more present in the rest of your life

Takeaway: You don't need hours to be creative. You just need five minutes and permission to believe those five minutes matter. Your creativity doesn't have to be all or nothing—you can maintain your creative identity even in the busiest seasons.

• Start stitching with the Stitch Deck
• Free DIY name sweater video tutorial
• Free Canva templates to create DIY name designs
• Check out the shop: artsylyons.shop
• Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons

Feeling the holiday pressure already? Between Pinterest-perfect expectations and everyone else's Instagram highlights, it's easy to feel like you should be doing more. But what if "special" doesn't mean elaborate or expensive — what if it just means heartfelt?

In this episode, Kathleen shares her own journey from holiday burnout to handmade joy, and gives you permission to do the holidays differently this year. You'll learn how to choose meaningful over impressive, presence over perfection, and create holiday magic without the overwhelm.

You'll Hear About:

• Why the holiday pressure we feel isn't really about the holidays at all
• What makes something truly "special" (hint: it's not perfection)
• The difference between handmade pressure and handmade joy
• 5 practical strategies for choosing what to make (and what to let go)
• What your people actually want from you this season
• A gentle challenge to redefine the holidays on your own terms

Key Takeaway: You don't have to do it all to make it special. Handmade doesn't mean more work — it means more heart. Your calm, your presence, and your joy are the real gifts this season.

• Free DIY name sweater video tutorial
• Check out the shop: artsylyons.shop
• Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons

Feeling stretched too thin? Resentful of commitments you said yes to? This episode is about the boundaries that will change your creative life. Kathleen shares her own journey from saying yes to everything (and burning out) to learning how to protect what actually matters — including her creative time, her family, and her energy.

This isn't about being selfish or unavailable. It's about being intentional. Because every time you say yes to something that doesn't align with your priorities, you're saying no to something that does.

You'll hear about:

• Why saying no feels so impossibly hard (and why it's necessary)
• How to get crystal clear on your priorities
• The specific boundaries that changed Kathleen's life
• Practical scripts for saying no without guilt
• What happens when you protect your creative time
• How to handle people who don't understand your boundaries
• Permission slips you might need to hear

Takeaway: Saying no isn't mean — it's necessary. You can't pour from an empty cup, and you can't show up for what matters most if you've given all your energy to things that don't align with your priorities. Start with one boundary this week and watch what shifts.

• Free Canva templates to create DIY name designs
• Free DIY name sweater video tutorial
• Check out the shop
• Follow me on Instagram: @artsylyons