Melanie Fagan Art

05/29/2026

What if gratitude could become a way of living your life differently?
What if it took the hard things and allowed God's love to cover you?

In this beautiful conversation with artist Stephanie Lee, we talk about creativity, faith, healing, journaling, surrender, beauty, and learning how to fully embrace the life you are living right now.

This episode is filled with wisdom about:
- Creativity as spiritual practice
- Gratitude and presence
- Trusting your creative voice
- Letting go of perfection
- Healing through beauty
- Living authentically and courageously

Stephanie shares such powerful insight about creating from honesty, embracing messy beginnings, and learning to see beauty everywhere we are willing to notice it.

There is so much goodness in this conversation that encouraged me deeply, and I hope it does the same for you!

In this inspiring and deeply honest episode of the Creating with Beauty Podcast, I sit down with artist, teacher, and soulful writer Stephanie Lee for an ins...

05/22/2026

I had the joy of sitting down with Stephanie Lee as a guest on the podcast!

In Part One of our interview, a beautiful and reflective episode, Stephanie Lee shares her journey as an artist, teacher, gardener, storyteller, and creative encourager. Through stories about family, art-making, curiosity, and self-discovery, Stephanie offers wisdom for anyone longing to create more honestly and courageously.

Together we discuss:

- How curiosity is at the heart of creativity
- The connection between creativity, family, and identity
- Vintage photographs as storytelling and emotional memory
- Gardening as “dirt medicine” and creative restoration
- Midlife creativity and continuing to evolve as an artist
- Authenticity versus trying to be “unique”
- The role of courage in the creative process
- Facing the inner critic with truth and logic
- Why comparison doesn’t define your worth as an artist
- Creating as an act of healing, honesty, and invitation

Memorable Quotes

“I wasn’t striving to be unique. I was striving to be authentic.”

“What do I need to do to be brave and bold in life?”

“The biggest gifts we can give are to cultivate authenticity.”

“Feel the fear and do it anyway.”

“You can do this. Look, I’m doing it. You can do it too.”

About Stephanie:

Bio - "I believe our creative power is meant to shape not only art, but the life around it. Through plaster, gesso, mixed media, and encaustic, I create luminous, tactile work that invites others to trust their creative instincts and make something—anything—of their own. My online courses and eBooks guide artists through metalsmithing, sculptural plaster, and encaustic with a practical, liberating, & rule-bending approach."

Website: stephanieleeart.com

Instagram:

Youtube: Make & Grow with Stephanie Lee

In this heartfelt conversation, I sit down with mixed media and enc...

05/15/2026

Good Morning, Friends!! Today on the podcast, I sit down with Colleen Kastner. I absolutely loved our conversation. Colleen is so fun and full of wonderful insight and creative joy. Grab a cuppa yum and let's visit.

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What if resilience isn’t about striving harder… but allowing God to gently hold us as we create our way through difficult seasons?

In this new episode of the Creating with Beauty Podcast, I’m joined by mixed -media landscape and figurative artist Colleen Kastner for a heartfelt conversation about healing, beauty, creativity, and how God uses beauty to nurture and guide us.

We talk about:
- creating through hard seasons
- art as healing
- God’s beauty in broken places
- resilience and hope
- being held through our making

If your heart has been weary lately, I hope this conversation feels like a deep breath, inviting you to step into what God has for you.

This episode is for anyone walking through a difficult season and needing the reminder that you are still held… and that beauty always has the power to restore.

Watch the interview on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spAZ6_9se54&t=3s

You can also listen over on my website or your favorite podcast player; the link is in my bio.

What if beauty is one of the ways God carries us through hard seasons?In this heartfelt episode of the Creating with Beauty Podcast, I’m joined by mixed-medi...

05/14/2026

Light in the darkness… breathtakingly beautiful. This is the phone version of this photo. Wait until you see the DSLR version, probably on Friday. 🙃. In the meantime, I am playing catch up with podcast interviews, but this moment today stopped me in my tracks. I had to share the sacred ordinary every day beauty.

05/14/2026

How do we live with our eyes wide open to the beauty, wonder, and sacred moments around us?
In Part Three of this heartfelt conversation with my dear friend, artist, and creative soul Jodi Shaw, we explore what it means to slow down, notice beauty in everyday life, and live with greater curiosity, presence, and intention.

Together, we talk about creativity, inspiration, simple joys, and the ways God gently meets us through ordinary moments. This conversation is filled with encouragement to savor life more deeply and embrace the beauty already woven into your daily rhythms.

This is Part Three of a special three-part series:
• Part One — Becoming Who You’re Meant to Be
• Part Two — This is the Stuff of Life
• Part Three —Living with Eyes Wide Open

Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast player. Link is in my bio.

05/14/2026

How do we live with our eyes wide open to the beauty, wonder, and sacred moments around us?

In Part Three of this heartfelt conversation with my dear friend, artist, and creative soul Jodi Shaw Jodene Jodi Shaw we explore what it means to slow down, notice beauty in everyday life, and live with greater curiosity, presence, and intention.

Together, we talk about creativity, inspiration, simple joys, and the ways God gently meets us through ordinary moments. This conversation is filled with encouragement to savor life more deeply and embrace the beauty already woven into your daily rhythms.

This is Part Three of a special three-part series:
• Part One — Becoming Who You’re Meant to Be
• Part Two — This is the Stuff of Life
• Part Three —Living with Eyes Wide Open

Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast player. Link is in my bio.

How do we begin living with our eyes wide open to the beauty, wonder, and sacred moments around us?In Part Three of this heartfelt conversation with my dear ...

05/13/2026

Do we realize that our daily interactions with family and friends, the simple conversations and time spent together, are the stuff of life? For example, discussing the birds with your granddaughter so that one day the Lord can use them to show her His love.

In Part Two of this heartfelt conversation with artist and creative soul Jodi, we explore what it means to slow down, notice beauty in everyday life, and live with greater curiosity, presence, and intention.

Together, we talk about creativity, inspiration, simple joys, and the ways God gently meets us through ordinary moments. This conversation is filled with encouragement to savor life more deeply and embrace the beauty woven into your daily rhythms.

This is Part Two of a special three-part series:
• Part One — Becoming Who You’re Meant to Be
• Part Two — This is the Stuff of Life
• Part Three — Living with Your Eyes Wide Open

Come, friend, join in this conversation with Jodi and me! I know you'll be encouraged.

Do we realize that our daily interactions with family and friends, the simple conversations and time spent together, are the stuff of life? For example, dis...

05/08/2026

How does God lead us into the life we were created to live?

In this heartfelt first conversation with artist and creative soul Jodi Shaw, we explore the quiet ways God loves us into purpose, healing, beauty, and joy. Through her honest storytelling and tender reflections, this episode invites you to slow down, notice the sacred unfolding of your own life, and embrace who you are becoming.

This is Part One of a special three-part conversation:
• Part One — Becoming Who You’re Meant to Be
• Part Two — Living with Eyes Wide Open
• Part Three — This Is the Stuff of Life

Jodie shares wisdom, encouragement, and glimpses into her creative journey, reminding us that God often shapes our hearts through ordinary moments, beauty, curiosity, and love.

If you’ve been longing to reconnect with joy, creativity, or the deeper story God is writing in your life, this episode is for you.

Links are in my bio or:
Watch over on YT : https://youtu.be/MQW5ucHTpeg

Listen on your favorite podcast platform or on my website:
https://tinyurl.com/2p9kz7pd

04/14/2026

A quick tour of my new setup in my spare bedroom. I underestimated the need to be able to close a door and simply be for this phase of my making. Images, journaling, art, and collage all happen in here.

In my dining room (where I moved all of this from), I am now creating a painting and gathering room. I am making a full wall for large or multiple paintings at one time. My dream is to invite others to join me over a delicious meal, fellowship, and creating with the Beauty God shares in our lives. Don't worry, I will post that video once it's done, too.

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Did you know I have a FREE 7-Day Faith-Based Collage Class? Join in the fun below!
UNFOLDING JOY ON THE PATH OF A BEAUTY SEEKER
Come and create a sweet little concertina collage journal from one piece of paper, inspired by the Beauty and love of God in your life!
https://tinyurl.com/yc54vseu
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Website: www.melaniefaganart.com
Patreon: https://tinyurl.com/4pv9km7e
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/melaniefagancreativecommunity
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04/07/2026

This past week, in our Facebook Community, a new member asked to see the inside of my journal that was published back in 2023. After realizing that FB deleted that LIVE video I did, I made a new one and posted it to YouTube!

In this journal, I used encaustic medium, my photographs, vintage Bible pages from the late 1800's (gifted to me by Therese Kay Creative), image transfers with accents in watercolors, acrylics, and Neo Color II's!

Enjoy!!!

Back in 2023, I was encouraged by a friend to submit my work for publication to Somerset Studio. To my surprise, I discovered my work was published while in...