One of the most-often questions that comes my way is: how do you find the time to create? On this episode, Chris and Amy answer your questions and talk about their strategies for finding the time to create, how to gather inspiration, setting goals, and why living life through the viewfinder isn’t so bad after all. Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup. You can find her on Instagram, substack, and bluesky @itsamyliz. Chris Hajny is a senior product designer for a major corporation and an educator at his alma mater, MCAD. You can find more about him here. (And checkout the board game podcast he hosts!

“‘My work isn’t technical, it’s just vibes’-what Linda McCartney should have said, but didn’t”-Amy Elizabeth With a maiden name of Eastman and a married name of McCartney, did Linda become famous because of the people around her? (Sorry internet trolls, Linda wasn’t actually of the Kodak Eastmans). Spoiler alert: Amy thinks Linda is a true artist in her own right. Listen in as Amy becomes a Linda apologist, walks through the validity of her art, and muses about her paradoxes. Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup. You can find her on Instagram, substack, and bluesky @itsamyliz

It’s hard to put your money where your mouth is. This month, after some really terrible film images, Amy remembered she’s “not a film snob”. And this is the story of how iPhone and digital images landed on her permanent Instagram feed. But if you want to hear some more details of said story, listen about evaluating the proper tools the job, and learn how to stop overcomplicating and get out of your own darn way, then tune into this episode of Post-Processing. Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup. You can find her on Instagram, substack, and bluesky @itsamyliz.

The Great Depression was almost 100 years ago and it serves as a reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same. It was during this era that our artist for the month, Elizabeth Olds, spoke against the injustices of society, empowered women, illuminated the ugliness of capitalism, and taught the next generation the importance of art and creativity. How does one take all of this as a guide and alchemize it into their own piece? Listen in as Amy and Chris talk about the book Amy ended up making, tackle the question 'what's poetry?', and muse about how they dislike the word 'networking' but recognize that connection is everything. Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup. You can find her on Instagram, substack, and bluesky @itsamyliz.

This month instead of studying an artist, we’re studying a mystery (spoooooky). If you haven’t heard of the Voynich Manuscript, you’re in for a real treat. This 600 year old work of art is written in an unknown language, containing unknown plants, mechanisms, charts, and mixtures. If something contains nothing that is known, how is it NOT a hoax? Great question. Maybe it is, but despite all the secrets contained in this codex, the experts still have enough facts surrounding it that make it likely being something real and even communal. Listen in today to learn about its provenance, the mysteries, the facts, and hear about Amy and Chris’s favorite hypotheses. What’s yours? Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup. You can find her on Instagram, substack, and bluesky @itsamyliz.

Welcome to today’s conversation with Scott Erickson, painter, illustrator, live performer, and author. I was first introduced to Scott’s work circa 2018 when our church hung illustrations he had made in our Fellowship Hall. His work, although often using Christianity mythology as his jumping off point for processing life’s harder lessons, is especially known for featuring the sacred and profane. He reminds us the pope had diarrhea, Mother Theresa got her period, and Mary’s labor with Jesus was ugly and messy. As embodied beings, we are remiss if we don’t consider the spiritual and temporal nature of life on earth. And Scott’s honest art speaks to the paradox of living in mind, body and spirit, asking everyone to scooch over a little there by creating space at the table for anyone with a desire to make meaning from our very existence in this tension. You can find Scott’s work on Instagram, his website, and sign up for his Substack. And definitely book a ticket to one of his upcoming shows or even consider using his art for your next tattoo(!!!!) Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup. You can find her on Instagram @itsamyliz.

We asked you to ask away and you did! Well, actually, you sent statements more than actual questions, but we turned them into questions and answered them here. (Okay, so we only got through a couple, but it's a start!) On this episode, Chris and Amy cover how to start, how to finish, and the one word that's the key to it all. Whether you're tackling personal work or a client project, this conversation is meant to encourage and motivate you along the way. Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup. You can find her on Instagram, substack, and bluesky @itsamyliz. Chris Hajny is a senior product designer for a major corporation and an educator at his alma mater, MCAD. You can find more about him (and his own podcast he hosts) here.

Irving Penn was a walking contradiction. He worked in fashion but eschewed frivolity. He was a perfectionist but found beauty in imperfection. He captured elegance in the raw, and rawness in the elegant. More than anything, he believed that photography was an art form in its own right—an art that required patience, precision, and, above all, vision. As we dive into the work of Irving Penn, one word comes to mind: prolific. And that feels like an understatement. Irving went where his curiosities led him. He didn’t “niche down",” but always kept exploring more, yet his work feels cohesive because his story and voice remained consistent. Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup. You can find her on Instagram, substack, and bluesky @itsamyliz.

The controversy around Sally Mann’s work took up a lot of brain power during the month of February. And how do you translate that into your own piece of art? It can feel overwhelming to try to say something BIG, but that’s when it becomes necessary to take a step back and focus on your own story. Join Amy as she walks through her piece for the month, inspired by Sally Mann and intersecting with her own religious upbringing and the well-meaning, but highly damaging, messages many 90s teens received. Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup. You can find her on Instagram, substack, and bluesky @itsamyliz.

If we’re not talking about religion and politics, then what are we even doing? Listen in as I chat with Michael Behlen, founder of Analog Forever and Polaroid fine art photographer about submitting work to publications, why we need to go to the taboo places as artists, how to not let history pass us by, and why embracing one little word is the key to success. Michael Behlen is a seasoned leader in the DIY photography world and the founder and publisher of Analog Forever Magazine (2018-Present). A passionate advocate for the film photography community, Behlen has dedicated years to championing the work of emerging and established artists by curating and showcasing the work of over 300 artists from around the globe, organizing gallery exhibitions, publishing print magazines and books, and conducting in-depth online interviews and features. Michael’s Polaroid photography can be found in various books and publications. He spends his time shooting instant film and backpacking in the California wilderness, usually a combination of the two. Connect with Michael Behlen on his Website and on Instagram! Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup. You can find her on Instagram @itsamyliz.

Tbh, Amy was NOT a fan of Elizabeth Olds coming into this month, but Elizabeth ended up stealing her heart. Listen as Amy chats off Chris's ear about Elizabeth's merits, including Elizabeth's desire to make art for everyone, teach younger generations how to create, experiment, and tell stories of the marginalized and oppressed. Making art during the Great Depression might not be all that different than art now. As America undergoes identity shifts, it's up to artists to aid the construct of new narratives. Art is one of our most powerful tools for storytelling and activism, and we can use Elizabeth's guidance as we charge on. Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup. You can find her on Instagram, substack, and bluesky @itsamyliz.

What do a lightning strike, rock collection, and dip in a local creek have in common? Nothing, without the meaning we give it. But when we're open, we realize everything can combined and used as fodder for the art we create. This month, it was Agnes Martin and her abstract expressionist grids that served as inspiration. Tune into this episode to hear the story of how Agnes's piece, Friendship, served as a jumping off point, and led Amy to bring old work to new scales, utilize just the piece she's been saving, and invite her son to collaborate. Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup. You can find her on Instagram, substack, and bluesky @itsamyliz

Mere weeks ago, four images of Sally Mann’s were seized from a gallery out of the blue and taken into police custody. In this second special edition episode of Brainstorm Buddies, Cami and Amy talk about the controversy surrounding Sally Mann’s images. They wrestle with their own histories steeped in purity culture, how to keep children safe in an online world, and what it means to decouple nakedness and sexuality. Cami Turpin is a fine art photographer and educator, currently residing in Utah. Catch her Lean In: Creating Images That Connect class through Click photo school, and stay tuned for a brand new class in the works regarding experimental storytelling. Get in touch with her over on Instagram @bluehillimages. Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup. You can find her on Instagram @itsamyliz.

Listen in as I chat with Ashlee Gadd about pushing through the discomfort as a creative. Whether your own discomfort stems from claiming your title as an artist, allowing yourself the freedom to pivot, or pushing through initial resistance in your daily tasks, this conversation will help you take solace in the fact that you're not alone and will give you tools to keep going. Ashlee Gadd is the founder of Coffee + Crumbs—a beautiful online space where motherhood and storytelling intersect. When she’s not writing or vacuuming Cheerios out of the carpet, she loves making friends on the Internet, eating cereal for dinner, and rearranging bookshelves. Her latest book, Create Anyway: The Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood is now available wherever books are sold.

There's no such thing as bad press and Sally Mann can attest to that. Her work was met with praise and disdain, but Sally kept pushing forward in order to expand the boundaries of what is acceptable in the art world. In this episode, learn more about the life and art of Sally Mann and listen in as Amy and her producer, Chris, talk about making tangible art, how the landscape of family photography has changed, and how to keep pushing when the critics get loud.

In this episode Amy talks with her producer Chris Hajny about the piece she created this month for The Art Lab while inspired by Elliott Erwitt. Amy ran with Elliott’s use of play and his contact sheets as she created a piece that not only summarized the month, but also the vast artistic philosophies she has encountered over the year. This month’s life lessons include the power of just starting and allowing yourself to lower the bar, Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup.

In this episode, Amy and her producer, Chris Hajny, chat about the fascinating Agnes Martin. Agnes was an abstract expressionist who used meticulously calculated lines and grids to convey emotions. It took her 20 years of painting to find her groove, as she navigated years of representationalism and abstract art to finally arrive at her signature style. Agnes famously found her inspiration through sitting, silencing her mind, and waiting for it to appear. Listen in as Amy and Chris talk about her unusual style, life, and process.

Welcome to the first special edition episode of Brainstorm Buddies! Learn about how Amy and Cami became brainstorm buddies and why it's important for their creativity. Then listen in as Cami and Amy chat about goal setting, why it's essential, how to do it well, and how to give yourself permission.

Join Amy Elizabeth as she chats with her producer (Chris Hajny) about famous street photographer, Elliott Erwitt. This episode serves as a rundown on the life of Elliott as well as discussion surrounding throwing down to do the work, finding humor and beauty in the world, and how Elliott's life as a white male might have contributed to the way we interact with his art.

In this episode Amy talks with her producer Chris Hajny about the piece she created this month for The Art Lab while inspired by Yayoi Kusama. Learn how repetition, self-obliteration, and using the unexpected tools at hand led to her creation. Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup.