April 8, 2025 • 28 mins
"As an artist I am interested in the interaction of color; how the arrangements of colors create a work of art. I use acrylic and oil paints, oil pastel, colored pencil, and paper to create my work on canvas and paper. Color affects appetite, vision, sexuality, design, art, emotions and myriad aspects of life that impact the very psychology of people. Color is expressed in all of our surroundings, especially in nature and science. Colors can be complementary, harmonizing, adjacent, or they can contrast and clash. Color is the central theme of my work. I focus on colors that express my emotions and feelings in an image that leaves the viewer room to interpret.
There is rarely a point I try to get across, a statement I try to make, or a system of signs I wish to give a message or meaning. I am simply interested in the use of color and aesthetic freedom. I try to create the semblance of an object that gives rise to the viewer’s own emotions and feelings. My goal is for viewers to invent and unravel their own meaning."
Connect with AK Hardeman:
IG: @akhardeman.art
Website: www.akhardeman.com
Save 15% site wide at www.houseofblum.com with promo code beat15! Or you can use this link- https://houseofblum.com/discount/beat15!
Connect with the Hosts https://www.instagram.com/boulevardbeatpodcast/
Connect with Meghan Blum Interiors https://www.instagram.com/meghanbluminteriors/
Connect with House of Blum https://www.instagram.com/shophouseofblum/
Connect with Krissa Rossbund. https://www.instagram.com/krissa_rossbund/
Connect with Liz Lidgett https://www.instagram.com/lizlidgett/ Episode Website https://www.blvdbeat.com/about
There is rarely a point I try to get across, a statement I try to make, or a system of signs I wish to give a message or meaning. I am simply interested in the use of color and aesthetic freedom. I try to create the semblance of an object that gives rise to the viewer’s own emotions and feelings. My goal is for viewers to invent and unravel their own meaning."
Connect with AK Hardeman:
IG: @akhardeman.art
Website: www.akhardeman.com
Save 15% site wide at www.houseofblum.com with promo code beat15! Or you can use this link- https://houseofblum.com/discount/beat15!
Connect with the Hosts https://www.instagram.com/boulevardbeatpodcast/
Connect with Meghan Blum Interiors https://www.instagram.com/meghanbluminteriors/
Connect with House of Blum https://www.instagram.com/shophouseofblum/
Connect with Krissa Rossbund. https://www.instagram.com/krissa_rossbund/
Connect with Liz Lidgett https://www.instagram.com/lizlidgett/ Episode Website https://www.blvdbeat.com/about
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to Boulevard Beat, a podcast where life and style intersect.
I'm designer Megan Bloom along with my co hosts, editor
Chris the Rossbund and gallery owner Liz Legit. This podcast
focuses on the daily highlights instead of the hustle, interviews
with taste makers, and personal conversations on how to highlight
achievable style. You constrol one street at a time, Boulevard
(00:28):
Beat proves the one you should take.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Today.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
We are welcomed by artist ak Hardiman of Birmingham, Alabama.
Ak uses her systems of signs to give a messenger
meaning where she balances the use of color and aesthetic
freedom to create the semi balance of an object that
gives rise to the viewer's own emotions and feelings. Her
goal is for viewers to invent and unravel their own meaning.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Ak, thanks so much for being on the podcast with us.
You are one of my favorite people and artists, so
I'm so thrilled that you accepted our invitation to do this.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
I am so excited to be here.
Speaker 5 (01:10):
Akay, Yes, welcome. We're so excited to chat with you.
We like to start by having our guests tell us
about the street they grew up on, and what's their
story and the history that goes along with that.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Okay, I have always lived in Alabama, but my dad
was a banker, and we actually moved around a lot
within Alabama, and so I call Mobile home because that's
where I was born. But we lived in Dothan, Alabama, Montgomery, Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama.
Back to Mobile. It's been kind of crazy Birmingham. So
(01:41):
the street I grew up on kind of changed a lot.
But the one that I think I remember most from
my childhood was just this dead end street. We would
just ride our bikes and run around and it was
just like complete freedom all the time because there wasn't
a lot of traffic. It wasn't in a high traffic area,
and that was when we were in Huntsville, and it
(02:02):
was just so much fun.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
I'm thinking of you as a young girl. Did you
want to be an artist? How did you get into
all of this?
Speaker 4 (02:12):
I always wanted to be an artist, an artist, or
a tennis player, except for I'm not very competitive and
I'm not really like athletics, So I don't really know
where that came from. But I was not competitive, and
so that was not going to work. But I always
have just loved art, and I would take classes at
the museum when I was younger, and just it was
(02:35):
just always in my life. I feel like for some reason,
I don't know, but it was always there and I've
always loved it.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Okay. So then growing up, were your parents like, Okay,
this is a viable career for you, or because some
I think there's that awful stereotype of a starving artist,
and so a lot of parents were like, really, do
you not want to just be a lawyer.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
They encouraged my art up until college, when like it
was like you, Okay, now you need to get serious.
And they didn't want me to go to art school
because they quote did not want me to become a hippie.
So I went to a small liberal arts college, all girls.
I was an art history major. Really, the only art
(03:18):
class I took. A studio class I took in college
was a drawing class, which I mean, seeing my work,
you're like what. Then I moved to DC for a
little bit worked at a lobbying firm, and then I
moved to Birmingham and I was working at a life
insurance corporation and still to this point, like I'm not
(03:39):
doing art at this point, Like I have stopped creating.
When I was in DC working at the lobbying firm,
and I was in my twenties, like I didn't feel
the need to create then. But when I moved to
Birmingham and I was working at that life insurance company
and I was sitting at my desk every day, it
was like torture for me. It was the need that
(04:00):
I was just like it was growing in my body
to create. And that was the time when blogs were
real big, and so I would read blogs like all
day every day and not do any work as in
but it was my only sort of like creative outlet.
I did kind of start to pick it up then
and paint a little bit. My parents actually were living
(04:22):
here in Birmingham at the time, and they had a
show for me at their house and it was, you know,
it was just me, this little twenty year old you know,
like whatever however old I was at the time, twenty
four to twenty five. I had it in this little
art show and it was successful, it did well again,
and it was just people we knew. And then I
(04:45):
got pregnant and I was having trouble getting well, I
was having trouble keeping. I have miscarried twice and so
all that, and like just the stress of it, I
just didn't want to paint, and so I quit again.
And the last painting for a while I did was
a painting for my son's nursery. And then about two
(05:06):
two and a half three years later, I had my
daughter and she was about two months old, and I
was like, I gotta do this, I gotta do this.
And ever since then, this is like this, this is
that chalignited, yes, yes, And how old is she now?
She is eight.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
So for about eight years, this has been your full
time serious this is this is your serious job.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Yes, And it kind of layered on top of you know,
it kind of layered like it wasn't this back in
twenty seventeen or whatever, but it's grown to this. And
I do think the next kind of like chapter in
this chapter was COVID. I just kind of took what
I was doing and broke it down and I would
(05:55):
just put on like music and go in my little
tiny space I had at our house with the kids
here and the kids there and my husband on zoom calls.
And that took that little bit of time to create
and everything kind of got like more minimal, and people
really responded to that.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
I also think it was a time that was right
around when the gallery open, too, and so I think
it was just a huge balloome. Whether it's you us,
so many of the artists that we work with. I
think a lot of creatives were really taking some internal
looks of like, Okay, our lives just stopped, but going forward,
what would I want it to look like? And what
would I want it to do? But also people were
(06:37):
looking at their blank walls at home, stuck at home, yes,
and they were supporting artists like crazy crazy. It was
such an interesting time to get the gallery started, but
also I think just to be an artist, because the
reception people wanted to support individuals, they wanted to support
small businesses. They were really thinking about like, so it's
(07:00):
the type of world that we want to see and
we're going to support that with our dollars. And I
think that some of that has really continued on. But
that was just such an odd interesting time to be
selling and selling art specifically.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Yeah, because I think every artist I know did really
well at that time, and I felt like there was
just a whole new group of like contemporaries for lack
of a better word, that came out of that. I
don't think that people who purchased art during that time
will ever realize kind of what they were a part
(07:36):
of and how they helped so many artists grow during
that time.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
The impact that that made for all people, both in
their homes and as an artist and a small business
and a gallery owner who definitely, yeah, has your process
of your medium that you choose and your how you paint,
has it always been similar or has that evolved over
the years and transitions.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
It has definitely evolved over the years. For a while,
it was very much acrylic paint that I was using
and there wasn't much empty space on the canvas, and
then it was it was COVID and it just went
real minimal. Now, like that's the foundation, and I'm building
(08:16):
on that back to kind of more this maximalist look,
which is what I am. I'm a maximalist. I am
not a minimalist. I love everything too. In fact, we
just moved into a new house that we're redoing, and
I have a friend who's helping us, and she has
to talk me down sometimes with what I choose. We
(08:38):
were talking about something the other day and she was like,
it's your home and you know, I want you to
do what you want to do. And I was like, no,
I just like a lot, like I like everything, and
she goes, I know you do.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
I know that about you. Okay, how would you describe
your style now?
Speaker 4 (08:56):
Well, when people ask me that, I'm just like, I'm
a mixed media artist. I'm a paint very colorful abstracts.
And then I kind of just stopped there because I
have such a hard time describing it because in my
head it changes from painting to painting.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
But there's floral. Do you say floral based or no?
Speaker 4 (09:13):
I say floral, but I well, when people ask me,
I do not say it's floral based, because they're really
not supposed to be floral. They just are. And this
is going to sound so crazy to people, but are like,
my hand takes over and does something floral, and I
don't know what happens because I'm like, I'm going to
(09:34):
do just more of an abstract today, you know, and
it just does not happen right now.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
The intuition takes over.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
Yes it does. It does.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
I also think when I talk about your work. I
think about, like, they just exude energy, and I think
part of that is the color. But they're really gestural,
and so yes, they're I I mean, I do think
of them as floral, old based, and then you know,
I think about how they're abstract. I think about how
they have great energy. They often have a lot of
(10:08):
texture too. Yes, then they end up having like some
like little creatures sometimes and some little bugs, and some
things are like are like flying through the air, and
it kind of breaks up some of that open space,
that negative space.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
A lot of people say coral reef too, are like
in the ocean. I get that a lot as well.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Let's talk a little bit about what you think about
the relationship between art and interior design. So you're designing
your house right now, what art are you putting in it?
Just as you're going through this process?
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Not my own? Not my own? People ask me often
do you have your own work in your house? And
I'm like, I have a couple pieces that I haven't
wanted to part with, but I can't look at it
all the time, and I want to fill my walls
with something else. I want to fill my walls with
other art that I like. And it. It could be
like the craziest piece ever, but if it speaks to us,
(10:58):
then we're going to get it.
Speaker 5 (10:59):
As a designer myself, and obviously I'm always incorporating artwork
into my designs and things like that, it's always kind
of a balance of what's the focal point and is
it just complementaring the space or is it actually the
focal point. A lot of times as a designer, we
start with the rug and kind of build the room
around that or a piece of artwork. How do you
feel that relationship between art and to your design relates.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
I mean, I guess most artists would probably say there's
a love hate relationship with that.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
I totally get that.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
As an artist, I like, don't want you to buy
a piece of art that matches your sofa, because I
want you to get a piece of art that speaks
to you. And you know, your sofa may change, your
wall color may change, but I hope that you have
a piece of art that's going to be with you
and your family for generations. But at the same time,
(11:49):
I want you to pick art that you like, but
I would also hope that you choose interiors you like
as well, because that is your home, and it is
where you spend most of your time. My husband and
I approach it like we like to collect pieces of furniture,
like we would collect art and things that you know
we're going to keep and that hopefully one day our
(12:10):
children will keep and have. I mean, I have pieces
of furniture. I'm so excited. My father gave me this
huge secretary that was his grandmother's, so it's my great
great grandmother's and we've never had room for it, but
he gave it to me now, as well as a
few other pieces, and they mean so much to me
(12:33):
because they've been in my family's homes. So like I
think you should collect art that you like, you should
also collect interiors that you like.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
I think there's something to the fact about art not
necessarily having to match. I think there is something kind
of going around on Instagram right now, which is like,
you know, there's the ugly shoe or like the wrong
shoe would you put when you get dressed like a seeker,
like a formal gown, and how that juxtapositions cool And
(13:03):
I recently saw one that was like the ugly art
or the wrong art theory that it kind of works
the same way that you need that juxtaposition to kind
of give you something to like go, oh that's interesting,
that stops me, that makes me look.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
Yeah, it's like mixing antiques with kind of more modern
stuff and contemporary things and like a more contemporary rug
or whatever.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
I get the question a lot about people asking like, Okay, well,
how do I know that all of my art collection
is going to go together? And I'm like, because you
are the time that binds you right on, that makes
it all go together. One of the things you are
great at is are commissions, and so sometimes you work
with the gallery or client or an interior designer for
(13:46):
a commission, specifically for a space. Get you talk a
little bit about that process and what you hope to
accomplish with a commission, because sometimes people think that, oh,
I don't know where to get started with a commission.
So what's the kind of information you want to know?
Speaker 4 (14:01):
I like to see three to five of my pieces
that they are drawn to, whether it's style or colors
or whatever. I want to see those three to five pieces,
and if there's like one or two that you're like,
this is it? I want just like this? That's fine,
doesn't necessarily have to be three to five. But that's
just what I say. But I like to know why
(14:22):
you like that, Like do you like the colors in
this one? Or what about this that you like? And
I also like to know are there any colors that
you really really want? And are there any colors that
you really really do not want? Most of the time,
if you're commissioning something from me, there's not really a
color you don't want, that's true. And I like to know.
(14:42):
I like to have an idea of what background color
they want, because if they don't tell me what background
color they want, I will go down rabbit holes and
rabbit holes and rabbit holes trying to find something. And
I don't like to do that.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
But some artists don't love to do commissions. Are you
open You're open.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
To I'm open to them.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yeah. What do you think makes for a successful commission?
Speaker 4 (15:04):
You know, the customer needs to have a good idea
of what they want, but also a good idea of
what's possible, Like you are not going to get an
exact copy of another painting.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
This is an excellent point. A.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
We can't do that. B. It's not fair to the
person who purchased that other painting in the first place.
You know, you have to understand that you probably in
your head have an image of what you want. The
artist also has an image of what you are telling
them that you want. So you have to be flexible.
(15:41):
I give like two to three rounds of feedback, but
I can't change the whole painting, you know. I think
if people are not confident that they're going to be flexible,
then they probably don't need to commission something. There's some
people that just don't need to commission things, and that's
just it is what it is, like, there's some people
that can't just don't need a commission.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Knowing what type of person you are and if you're
going to be okay with the commission process, I think
is really a moment of self reflection that should always do.
But also the thing that I wanted to add to
is I always want to say, like, remember why you
chose this artist. You love those moments in their work
that just happen, that are spontaneous. It's where the artist
(16:24):
spirit takes over, right, and it's like coming yes. And
I think you can always tell when a commission is
too forced completely agreed.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
Now, let's say don't be afraid to commission a piece
if you're okay with maybe not having an exact image
in your head, yeah, and understanding there's just you and
the artists are going to work together to come up
with something. It might not be one hundred percent what
(16:55):
you originally had in mind, but I guarantee you, if
you trust the artist, then at the end of the day,
you're going to end up with something that you like
and love, and it's going to end up being perfect.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
You know, you talked earlier about emotion and how artwork
can bring emotion and you should feel the piece and
all of that as well, and how it moves you.
I think it's a good example how art is more
than just decoration. Can you talk about a little bit
of what that transformation does for people.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
I have many people who often tell me that, like
they look at my painting every day and it just
makes them happy, love it, and that means so much
to me. I think your your spaces should should make
you happy. I think drapes can make you happy. I
think a rug can when you look at it, can
make you happy. And so I think the art is
(17:49):
the same thing. You just it's a feeling and it's
just like emotion in you and oh, I'm in awe
of that.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Do you feel like you have a piece that makes
you feel.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
About Yes, I have a feast. We have a lot
of art that we like, a lot of little pieces
that we've collected. A lot of them are like maybe
trades with other artists. That means so much to me
that I think the piece that I most love and
same with my husband is we have a photograph by
(18:20):
our friend of ours, David Hilligis, and he's an amazing
photographer and it's a picture that he took in India
of a man on a boat smoking a cigarette, and like,
it's just it's beautiful and colorful and big, and it's
just we love it. People walk into our house and
they're like, who is that man? People are just so
(18:41):
taken aback by it.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Okay, I'm gonna have to look up his work.
Speaker 4 (18:45):
Yes, please do.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
How do you balance like making something that feels right
to you, that feels authentic, with something that's going to sell.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
You know, they say you should not make something that
you think is just going to sell. You need to
be yourself, that's right, I swear I do try to
be very true to myself. I haven't gotten brave enough
on some things to be that true to myself. Like
there's some things I want to do. There's some ideas
(19:14):
that I have that I think maybe sometimes are like
too funky and too crazy, and so I don't do
them for whatever reason. That's like insecurity purposes. But every
time that a painting to fell, it like is not good.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
It's all flat. I mean when I look through I
do try as a curator, I try and look through
the lens of I think that that's going to be
a piece that people respond to, therefore they will buy it.
Because one of my fears, and I think I've probably
told you this in the past, is that I take
something on and then I like hold it hostage in Iowa,
(19:51):
I think art is meant to be seen, So I
don't want to keep it in inventory for years and years.
I want to find people that I think our clients
who have a specific lens that are coming to us
for a specific reason, who happen to love pink most
of the time.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
If they're coming to your gallery, they like color.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
They like color, Yeah, they like color. But but I agree,
I totally agree with you that I think that has
to be made to feel authentic and you can't really
think about the sale. But I do think that every
My woodness is that I think every piece is made
for a specific person, even though you may not have
them in mind.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Yes, do you think that? Do Yes? I think that
all the time that it is made, each piece I'm
creating is made for a specific person. But I might
never know that person, right that this painting could go
to Iowa. I mean that. Heck do I know? I know,
(20:52):
but it is meant for that person. The universe has
a plan for that person.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
And I think it's my job as a gallery is
to get it in front of as many eyeballs as possible,
which is why I think social media part has been
so rap.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Yes, you're so good at that, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
I think that's part of the thing that gets me
really excited about it because I know that I can
reach like a thousand people just because I decided to
go on stories or more thousands, right, right, So I
decided to go for it, and that means that I
have all the more chance to connect it with the
right person that this piece was mad. That's the whole
(21:31):
that's the whole thing.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
It's very interesting how it happens. And I love it
when I end up knowing that that piece was perfect
for that person, it just makes me so happy.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Well, it's a.
Speaker 5 (21:43):
Perfect example of why art speaks to you and how
it does, like you just stare at it and you're like,
I have to have that, like very some things make
you that feel that way, I guess.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
But I think there's certain interiors that do that to
you as well, or certain like objects. You know. I
have a grandmother who's like, if you like it, you
should just buy it. But she has like amazing just
I think she has a really cool different taste and
she and like in her home she just has a
lot of like different genres of things. And that's why
(22:15):
because she just sees something and she likes it, and
she's like, I'm going to get that if I can't,
you know.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
And yet it's somehow it all goes together.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
It all goes together because it's her and it's her personality.
And yeah, like your art collection is going to go
together because it's you. I don't actually I don't really
know if mine goes together. It's a little crazy, But
your heart collection goes together because it's you and your
home is going to come together because it's you. And
I love that.
Speaker 5 (22:42):
When you walk into a client's home or a client
tells me this, they're like, everyone says, my house looks
like me. Like. That's the best complement as a designer
is that you were able to do that for people.
And I think art plays a large role.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
An two. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
A couple of questions as we're rapping app. One of
them is how do you stay creative? The world is,
you know, at times scary.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
A dumpster fire. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
I sometimes want to just kind of disassociate, and that's
I feel least creative. How do you like keep showing up?
How do you keep coming to your studio and keep
making and staying creative?
Speaker 4 (23:22):
I am obsessed with it. I'm obsessed with creating. It
is my therapy pills and this prescription medication from my
and I just love it and it just brings so
much story to me. Now it is Thursday or Friday,
(23:42):
and I have been in the studio all week, all day.
I've lost it. It's done, but I know when it's done,
and I need to respect that. Sometimes I don't, but
I know when it's done, and I need to shut
it down, and I think in those times, I look
at a lot of art books, I look at a
lot of into your design books, and I have a
lot of just like creative interesting friends, and I live
(24:06):
in a creative, interesting neighborhood and I think that helps too.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Do you have a dream client or space that you
really want to work for?
Speaker 4 (24:13):
Not really, because I like just working and I just
want to work. I've had some really awesome opportunities, and
I have done work for like a couple of people
that I never thought I would ever do work for
that was like just a huge honor and incredible. But
I just want to work. I just want to paint.
I am so lucky. Like every day I'm like, how
(24:37):
do I get to do this? How? How like people
like what comes out of me? That's so weird and
it's bizarre, and I'm just like, when is the simulation
going to explode? Because I just feel like I'm so
lucky and I just want to do it, and I
(24:57):
but I don't want to look at it. So I
want to do it. And then I wanted to go
to whoever it's meant to go to. I have a
dream studio. I have a dream studio but what does
it look like. Basically it would be one of those
abandoned buildings in New York, which is like high feelings
and just I just want a big, open room, is
really what I want.
Speaker 5 (25:18):
We always like to kind of finish our podcast with
a couple that kind of have the beat of our name.
And I think, Aka, I maybe know what you're going
to say for this, but what's the keep you going?
Speaker 4 (25:28):
It's my soul. Whatever is in my soul, because even
on the days when I am so exhausted, I still
want to go create, Like I'd be like I got
to do something. I got to do something.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
That's how I was feeling. You could tell you're just
so passionate about creating.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
Yeah, it's hard to be a mom and be so
passionate about something else too. Allison James recently posted something
about how she's a new mom and how it is
so difficult. You're so in love with your career and
passionate about it, but then you feel guilty because you
also have this child that you're also passionate about. But
(26:05):
like it's just two ends of the I had so
many things to say to her. I was like so
many mans. Oh my god, you just said everything I
feel every day. Yeah, but you need to have a
home with nice interiors so you feel comfortable when you're
with your children.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Yes, here's here's my plug on that too. I also
just really quickly feel like we are giving our kids
a gift of showing them what it looks like to
be in love with your life and your career. Because yes,
people are Yes, they go to work, they don't care.
I hope that everybody has something that they're in love
with in their life. And I'm really lucky that I
(26:44):
get a lot of those things. But I am excited
to go to work, and I am excited to them,
and I hope that that shapes who they are and
what they want to do. I'm a joyful person because
of it.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
It's a gift to be able to do what you
love every day, and it's a gift to have. And
so this has gone totally off the rail flo I know.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
But you don't have to feel guilty about it. That's
my plug. Does nobody feel guilty about it?
Speaker 4 (27:07):
Like you just want good? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (27:09):
Yeah, anyway, And lastly, what does your perfect boulevard look like?
Speaker 4 (27:13):
It's that street one of those streets in the West
Village in Fall, you know, with the Brownstones and the
fall Leagues falling. That's my perfect street, and that is
my perfect vibe.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
It is a perfect vibe. AKA, thank you so much
for being on the shift.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
Was fun. Thank you very much for having me.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
Thank you for listening to this week's episode of Boulevard Beat.
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow along and leave
a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen
so you never miss an episode, And of course, follow
your hosts on Instagram at Megan bloom Interiors, at CHRISA. Rossbund,
and at Liz Legit. We'll be back next week as
we take a stroll down another boulevard
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Dotmetame
Welcome to Boulevard Beat, a podcast where life and style intersect.
I'm designer Megan Bloom along with my co hosts, editor
Chris the Rossbund and gallery owner Liz Legit. This podcast
focuses on the daily highlights instead of the hustle, interviews
with taste makers, and personal conversations on how to highlight
achievable style. You constrol one street at a time, Boulevard
(00:28):
Beat proves the one you should take.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Today.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
We are welcomed by artist ak Hardiman of Birmingham, Alabama.
Ak uses her systems of signs to give a messenger
meaning where she balances the use of color and aesthetic
freedom to create the semi balance of an object that
gives rise to the viewer's own emotions and feelings. Her
goal is for viewers to invent and unravel their own meaning.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Ak, thanks so much for being on the podcast with us.
You are one of my favorite people and artists, so
I'm so thrilled that you accepted our invitation to do this.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
I am so excited to be here.
Speaker 5 (01:10):
Akay, Yes, welcome. We're so excited to chat with you.
We like to start by having our guests tell us
about the street they grew up on, and what's their
story and the history that goes along with that.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Okay, I have always lived in Alabama, but my dad
was a banker, and we actually moved around a lot
within Alabama, and so I call Mobile home because that's
where I was born. But we lived in Dothan, Alabama, Montgomery, Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama.
Back to Mobile. It's been kind of crazy Birmingham. So
(01:41):
the street I grew up on kind of changed a lot.
But the one that I think I remember most from
my childhood was just this dead end street. We would
just ride our bikes and run around and it was
just like complete freedom all the time because there wasn't
a lot of traffic. It wasn't in a high traffic area,
and that was when we were in Huntsville, and it
(02:02):
was just so much fun.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
I'm thinking of you as a young girl. Did you
want to be an artist? How did you get into
all of this?
Speaker 4 (02:12):
I always wanted to be an artist, an artist, or
a tennis player, except for I'm not very competitive and
I'm not really like athletics, So I don't really know
where that came from. But I was not competitive, and
so that was not going to work. But I always
have just loved art, and I would take classes at
the museum when I was younger, and just it was
(02:35):
just always in my life. I feel like for some reason,
I don't know, but it was always there and I've
always loved it.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Okay. So then growing up, were your parents like, Okay,
this is a viable career for you, or because some
I think there's that awful stereotype of a starving artist,
and so a lot of parents were like, really, do
you not want to just be a lawyer.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
They encouraged my art up until college, when like it
was like you, Okay, now you need to get serious.
And they didn't want me to go to art school
because they quote did not want me to become a hippie.
So I went to a small liberal arts college, all girls.
I was an art history major. Really, the only art
(03:18):
class I took. A studio class I took in college
was a drawing class, which I mean, seeing my work,
you're like what. Then I moved to DC for a
little bit worked at a lobbying firm, and then I
moved to Birmingham and I was working at a life
insurance corporation and still to this point, like I'm not
(03:39):
doing art at this point, Like I have stopped creating.
When I was in DC working at the lobbying firm,
and I was in my twenties, like I didn't feel
the need to create then. But when I moved to
Birmingham and I was working at that life insurance company
and I was sitting at my desk every day, it
was like torture for me. It was the need that
(04:00):
I was just like it was growing in my body
to create. And that was the time when blogs were
real big, and so I would read blogs like all
day every day and not do any work as in
but it was my only sort of like creative outlet.
I did kind of start to pick it up then
and paint a little bit. My parents actually were living
(04:22):
here in Birmingham at the time, and they had a
show for me at their house and it was, you know,
it was just me, this little twenty year old you know,
like whatever however old I was at the time, twenty
four to twenty five. I had it in this little
art show and it was successful, it did well again,
and it was just people we knew. And then I
(04:45):
got pregnant and I was having trouble getting well, I
was having trouble keeping. I have miscarried twice and so
all that, and like just the stress of it, I
just didn't want to paint, and so I quit again.
And the last painting for a while I did was
a painting for my son's nursery. And then about two
(05:06):
two and a half three years later, I had my
daughter and she was about two months old, and I
was like, I gotta do this, I gotta do this.
And ever since then, this is like this, this is
that chalignited, yes, yes, And how old is she now?
She is eight.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
So for about eight years, this has been your full
time serious this is this is your serious job.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Yes, And it kind of layered on top of you know,
it kind of layered like it wasn't this back in
twenty seventeen or whatever, but it's grown to this. And
I do think the next kind of like chapter in
this chapter was COVID. I just kind of took what
I was doing and broke it down and I would
(05:55):
just put on like music and go in my little
tiny space I had at our house with the kids
here and the kids there and my husband on zoom calls.
And that took that little bit of time to create
and everything kind of got like more minimal, and people
really responded to that.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
I also think it was a time that was right
around when the gallery open, too, and so I think
it was just a huge balloome. Whether it's you us,
so many of the artists that we work with. I
think a lot of creatives were really taking some internal
looks of like, Okay, our lives just stopped, but going forward,
what would I want it to look like? And what
would I want it to do? But also people were
(06:37):
looking at their blank walls at home, stuck at home, yes,
and they were supporting artists like crazy crazy. It was
such an interesting time to get the gallery started, but
also I think just to be an artist, because the
reception people wanted to support individuals, they wanted to support
small businesses. They were really thinking about like, so it's
(07:00):
the type of world that we want to see and
we're going to support that with our dollars. And I
think that some of that has really continued on. But
that was just such an odd interesting time to be
selling and selling art specifically.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Yeah, because I think every artist I know did really
well at that time, and I felt like there was
just a whole new group of like contemporaries for lack
of a better word, that came out of that. I
don't think that people who purchased art during that time
will ever realize kind of what they were a part
(07:36):
of and how they helped so many artists grow during
that time.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
The impact that that made for all people, both in
their homes and as an artist and a small business
and a gallery owner who definitely, yeah, has your process
of your medium that you choose and your how you paint,
has it always been similar or has that evolved over
the years and transitions.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
It has definitely evolved over the years. For a while,
it was very much acrylic paint that I was using
and there wasn't much empty space on the canvas, and
then it was it was COVID and it just went
real minimal. Now, like that's the foundation, and I'm building
(08:16):
on that back to kind of more this maximalist look,
which is what I am. I'm a maximalist. I am
not a minimalist. I love everything too. In fact, we
just moved into a new house that we're redoing, and
I have a friend who's helping us, and she has
to talk me down sometimes with what I choose. We
(08:38):
were talking about something the other day and she was like,
it's your home and you know, I want you to
do what you want to do. And I was like, no,
I just like a lot, like I like everything, and
she goes, I know you do.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
I know that about you. Okay, how would you describe
your style now?
Speaker 4 (08:56):
Well, when people ask me that, I'm just like, I'm
a mixed media artist. I'm a paint very colorful abstracts.
And then I kind of just stopped there because I
have such a hard time describing it because in my
head it changes from painting to painting.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
But there's floral. Do you say floral based or no?
Speaker 4 (09:13):
I say floral, but I well, when people ask me,
I do not say it's floral based, because they're really
not supposed to be floral. They just are. And this
is going to sound so crazy to people, but are like,
my hand takes over and does something floral, and I
don't know what happens because I'm like, I'm going to
(09:34):
do just more of an abstract today, you know, and
it just does not happen right now.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
The intuition takes over.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
Yes it does. It does.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
I also think when I talk about your work. I
think about, like, they just exude energy, and I think
part of that is the color. But they're really gestural,
and so yes, they're I I mean, I do think
of them as floral, old based, and then you know,
I think about how they're abstract. I think about how
they have great energy. They often have a lot of
(10:08):
texture too. Yes, then they end up having like some
like little creatures sometimes and some little bugs, and some
things are like are like flying through the air, and
it kind of breaks up some of that open space,
that negative space.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
A lot of people say coral reef too, are like
in the ocean. I get that a lot as well.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Let's talk a little bit about what you think about
the relationship between art and interior design. So you're designing
your house right now, what art are you putting in it?
Just as you're going through this process?
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Not my own? Not my own? People ask me often
do you have your own work in your house? And
I'm like, I have a couple pieces that I haven't
wanted to part with, but I can't look at it
all the time, and I want to fill my walls
with something else. I want to fill my walls with
other art that I like. And it. It could be
like the craziest piece ever, but if it speaks to us,
(10:58):
then we're going to get it.
Speaker 5 (10:59):
As a designer myself, and obviously I'm always incorporating artwork
into my designs and things like that, it's always kind
of a balance of what's the focal point and is
it just complementaring the space or is it actually the
focal point. A lot of times as a designer, we
start with the rug and kind of build the room
around that or a piece of artwork. How do you
feel that relationship between art and to your design relates.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
I mean, I guess most artists would probably say there's
a love hate relationship with that.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
I totally get that.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
As an artist, I like, don't want you to buy
a piece of art that matches your sofa, because I
want you to get a piece of art that speaks
to you. And you know, your sofa may change, your
wall color may change, but I hope that you have
a piece of art that's going to be with you
and your family for generations. But at the same time,
(11:49):
I want you to pick art that you like, but
I would also hope that you choose interiors you like
as well, because that is your home, and it is
where you spend most of your time. My husband and
I approach it like we like to collect pieces of furniture,
like we would collect art and things that you know
we're going to keep and that hopefully one day our
(12:10):
children will keep and have. I mean, I have pieces
of furniture. I'm so excited. My father gave me this
huge secretary that was his grandmother's, so it's my great
great grandmother's and we've never had room for it, but
he gave it to me now, as well as a
few other pieces, and they mean so much to me
(12:33):
because they've been in my family's homes. So like I
think you should collect art that you like, you should
also collect interiors that you like.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
I think there's something to the fact about art not
necessarily having to match. I think there is something kind
of going around on Instagram right now, which is like,
you know, there's the ugly shoe or like the wrong
shoe would you put when you get dressed like a seeker,
like a formal gown, and how that juxtapositions cool And
(13:03):
I recently saw one that was like the ugly art
or the wrong art theory that it kind of works
the same way that you need that juxtaposition to kind
of give you something to like go, oh that's interesting,
that stops me, that makes me look.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
Yeah, it's like mixing antiques with kind of more modern
stuff and contemporary things and like a more contemporary rug
or whatever.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
I get the question a lot about people asking like, Okay, well,
how do I know that all of my art collection
is going to go together? And I'm like, because you
are the time that binds you right on, that makes
it all go together. One of the things you are
great at is are commissions, and so sometimes you work
with the gallery or client or an interior designer for
(13:46):
a commission, specifically for a space. Get you talk a
little bit about that process and what you hope to
accomplish with a commission, because sometimes people think that, oh,
I don't know where to get started with a commission.
So what's the kind of information you want to know?
Speaker 4 (14:01):
I like to see three to five of my pieces
that they are drawn to, whether it's style or colors
or whatever. I want to see those three to five pieces,
and if there's like one or two that you're like,
this is it? I want just like this? That's fine,
doesn't necessarily have to be three to five. But that's
just what I say. But I like to know why
(14:22):
you like that, Like do you like the colors in
this one? Or what about this that you like? And
I also like to know are there any colors that
you really really want? And are there any colors that
you really really do not want? Most of the time,
if you're commissioning something from me, there's not really a
color you don't want, that's true. And I like to know.
(14:42):
I like to have an idea of what background color
they want, because if they don't tell me what background
color they want, I will go down rabbit holes and
rabbit holes and rabbit holes trying to find something. And
I don't like to do that.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
But some artists don't love to do commissions. Are you
open You're open.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
To I'm open to them.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yeah. What do you think makes for a successful commission?
Speaker 4 (15:04):
You know, the customer needs to have a good idea
of what they want, but also a good idea of
what's possible, Like you are not going to get an
exact copy of another painting.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
This is an excellent point. A.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
We can't do that. B. It's not fair to the
person who purchased that other painting in the first place.
You know, you have to understand that you probably in
your head have an image of what you want. The
artist also has an image of what you are telling
them that you want. So you have to be flexible.
(15:41):
I give like two to three rounds of feedback, but
I can't change the whole painting, you know. I think
if people are not confident that they're going to be flexible,
then they probably don't need to commission something. There's some
people that just don't need to commission things, and that's
just it is what it is, like, there's some people
that can't just don't need a commission.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Knowing what type of person you are and if you're
going to be okay with the commission process, I think
is really a moment of self reflection that should always do.
But also the thing that I wanted to add to
is I always want to say, like, remember why you
chose this artist. You love those moments in their work
that just happen, that are spontaneous. It's where the artist
(16:24):
spirit takes over, right, and it's like coming yes. And
I think you can always tell when a commission is
too forced completely agreed.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
Now, let's say don't be afraid to commission a piece
if you're okay with maybe not having an exact image
in your head, yeah, and understanding there's just you and
the artists are going to work together to come up
with something. It might not be one hundred percent what
(16:55):
you originally had in mind, but I guarantee you, if
you trust the artist, then at the end of the day,
you're going to end up with something that you like
and love, and it's going to end up being perfect.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
You know, you talked earlier about emotion and how artwork
can bring emotion and you should feel the piece and
all of that as well, and how it moves you.
I think it's a good example how art is more
than just decoration. Can you talk about a little bit
of what that transformation does for people.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
I have many people who often tell me that, like
they look at my painting every day and it just
makes them happy, love it, and that means so much
to me. I think your your spaces should should make
you happy. I think drapes can make you happy. I
think a rug can when you look at it, can
make you happy. And so I think the art is
(17:49):
the same thing. You just it's a feeling and it's
just like emotion in you and oh, I'm in awe
of that.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Do you feel like you have a piece that makes
you feel.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
About Yes, I have a feast. We have a lot
of art that we like, a lot of little pieces
that we've collected. A lot of them are like maybe
trades with other artists. That means so much to me
that I think the piece that I most love and
same with my husband is we have a photograph by
(18:20):
our friend of ours, David Hilligis, and he's an amazing
photographer and it's a picture that he took in India
of a man on a boat smoking a cigarette, and like,
it's just it's beautiful and colorful and big, and it's
just we love it. People walk into our house and
they're like, who is that man? People are just so
(18:41):
taken aback by it.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Okay, I'm gonna have to look up his work.
Speaker 4 (18:45):
Yes, please do.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
How do you balance like making something that feels right
to you, that feels authentic, with something that's going to sell.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
You know, they say you should not make something that
you think is just going to sell. You need to
be yourself, that's right, I swear I do try to
be very true to myself. I haven't gotten brave enough
on some things to be that true to myself. Like
there's some things I want to do. There's some ideas
(19:14):
that I have that I think maybe sometimes are like
too funky and too crazy, and so I don't do
them for whatever reason. That's like insecurity purposes. But every
time that a painting to fell, it like is not good.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
It's all flat. I mean when I look through I
do try as a curator, I try and look through
the lens of I think that that's going to be
a piece that people respond to, therefore they will buy it.
Because one of my fears, and I think I've probably
told you this in the past, is that I take
something on and then I like hold it hostage in Iowa,
(19:51):
I think art is meant to be seen, So I
don't want to keep it in inventory for years and years.
I want to find people that I think our clients
who have a specific lens that are coming to us
for a specific reason, who happen to love pink most
of the time.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
If they're coming to your gallery, they like color.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
They like color, Yeah, they like color. But but I agree,
I totally agree with you that I think that has
to be made to feel authentic and you can't really
think about the sale. But I do think that every
My woodness is that I think every piece is made
for a specific person, even though you may not have
them in mind.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Yes, do you think that? Do Yes? I think that
all the time that it is made, each piece I'm
creating is made for a specific person. But I might
never know that person, right that this painting could go
to Iowa. I mean that. Heck do I know? I know,
(20:52):
but it is meant for that person. The universe has
a plan for that person.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
And I think it's my job as a gallery is
to get it in front of as many eyeballs as possible,
which is why I think social media part has been
so rap.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Yes, you're so good at that, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
I think that's part of the thing that gets me
really excited about it because I know that I can
reach like a thousand people just because I decided to
go on stories or more thousands, right, right, So I
decided to go for it, and that means that I
have all the more chance to connect it with the
right person that this piece was mad. That's the whole
(21:31):
that's the whole thing.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
It's very interesting how it happens. And I love it
when I end up knowing that that piece was perfect
for that person, it just makes me so happy.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Well, it's a.
Speaker 5 (21:43):
Perfect example of why art speaks to you and how
it does, like you just stare at it and you're like,
I have to have that, like very some things make
you that feel that way, I guess.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
But I think there's certain interiors that do that to
you as well, or certain like objects. You know. I
have a grandmother who's like, if you like it, you
should just buy it. But she has like amazing just
I think she has a really cool different taste and
she and like in her home she just has a
lot of like different genres of things. And that's why
(22:15):
because she just sees something and she likes it, and
she's like, I'm going to get that if I can't,
you know.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
And yet it's somehow it all goes together.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
It all goes together because it's her and it's her personality.
And yeah, like your art collection is going to go
together because it's you. I don't actually I don't really
know if mine goes together. It's a little crazy, But
your heart collection goes together because it's you and your
home is going to come together because it's you. And
I love that.
Speaker 5 (22:42):
When you walk into a client's home or a client
tells me this, they're like, everyone says, my house looks
like me. Like. That's the best complement as a designer
is that you were able to do that for people.
And I think art plays a large role.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
An two. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
A couple of questions as we're rapping app. One of
them is how do you stay creative? The world is,
you know, at times scary.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
A dumpster fire. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
I sometimes want to just kind of disassociate, and that's
I feel least creative. How do you like keep showing up?
How do you keep coming to your studio and keep
making and staying creative?
Speaker 4 (23:22):
I am obsessed with it. I'm obsessed with creating. It
is my therapy pills and this prescription medication from my
and I just love it and it just brings so
much story to me. Now it is Thursday or Friday,
(23:42):
and I have been in the studio all week, all day.
I've lost it. It's done, but I know when it's done,
and I need to respect that. Sometimes I don't, but
I know when it's done, and I need to shut
it down, and I think in those times, I look
at a lot of art books, I look at a
lot of into your design books, and I have a
lot of just like creative interesting friends, and I live
(24:06):
in a creative, interesting neighborhood and I think that helps too.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Do you have a dream client or space that you
really want to work for?
Speaker 4 (24:13):
Not really, because I like just working and I just
want to work. I've had some really awesome opportunities, and
I have done work for like a couple of people
that I never thought I would ever do work for
that was like just a huge honor and incredible. But
I just want to work. I just want to paint.
I am so lucky. Like every day I'm like, how
(24:37):
do I get to do this? How? How like people
like what comes out of me? That's so weird and
it's bizarre, and I'm just like, when is the simulation
going to explode? Because I just feel like I'm so
lucky and I just want to do it, and I
(24:57):
but I don't want to look at it. So I
want to do it. And then I wanted to go
to whoever it's meant to go to. I have a
dream studio. I have a dream studio but what does
it look like. Basically it would be one of those
abandoned buildings in New York, which is like high feelings
and just I just want a big, open room, is
really what I want.
Speaker 5 (25:18):
We always like to kind of finish our podcast with
a couple that kind of have the beat of our name.
And I think, Aka, I maybe know what you're going
to say for this, but what's the keep you going?
Speaker 4 (25:28):
It's my soul. Whatever is in my soul, because even
on the days when I am so exhausted, I still
want to go create, Like I'd be like I got
to do something. I got to do something.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
That's how I was feeling. You could tell you're just
so passionate about creating.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
Yeah, it's hard to be a mom and be so
passionate about something else too. Allison James recently posted something
about how she's a new mom and how it is
so difficult. You're so in love with your career and
passionate about it, but then you feel guilty because you
also have this child that you're also passionate about. But
(26:05):
like it's just two ends of the I had so
many things to say to her. I was like so
many mans. Oh my god, you just said everything I
feel every day. Yeah, but you need to have a
home with nice interiors so you feel comfortable when you're
with your children.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Yes, here's here's my plug on that too. I also
just really quickly feel like we are giving our kids
a gift of showing them what it looks like to
be in love with your life and your career. Because yes,
people are Yes, they go to work, they don't care.
I hope that everybody has something that they're in love
with in their life. And I'm really lucky that I
(26:44):
get a lot of those things. But I am excited
to go to work, and I am excited to them,
and I hope that that shapes who they are and
what they want to do. I'm a joyful person because
of it.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
It's a gift to be able to do what you
love every day, and it's a gift to have. And
so this has gone totally off the rail flo I know.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
But you don't have to feel guilty about it. That's
my plug. Does nobody feel guilty about it?
Speaker 4 (27:07):
Like you just want good? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (27:09):
Yeah, anyway, And lastly, what does your perfect boulevard look like?
Speaker 4 (27:13):
It's that street one of those streets in the West
Village in Fall, you know, with the Brownstones and the
fall Leagues falling. That's my perfect street, and that is
my perfect vibe.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
It is a perfect vibe. AKA, thank you so much
for being on the shift.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
Was fun. Thank you very much for having me.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
Thank you for listening to this week's episode of Boulevard Beat.
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow along and leave
a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen
so you never miss an episode, And of course, follow
your hosts on Instagram at Megan bloom Interiors, at CHRISA. Rossbund,
and at Liz Legit. We'll be back next week as
we take a stroll down another boulevard
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Dotmetame
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!