artsy ambition by Kathleen Lyons

You're scrolling Instagram. Someone's shop is sold out. Their feed looks effortless. They have thousands of followers. And you think: I should be further along. What am I doing wrong? Here's the thing—you're comparing your chapter one to their chapter twenty. And that comparison isn't just unfair. It's holding you back.

The moment a stranger—someone who doesn't love you, doesn't owe you anything, has no reason to be kind—looks at what you made and decides it's worth their money? That moment changes everything. It's not just about the dollars. It's about legitimacy, possibility, and what you learn about yourself and your work that no book or podcast can teach you.

When was the last time you let yourself fully imagine what you want, without immediately listing all the reasons it won't happen? Somewhere along the way, many of us stopped dreaming. We learned to protect ourselves from disappointment by expecting nothing. But what if we flipped the script?

"You should sell these!" "Have you thought about starting an Etsy shop?" "You're so talented—you could make money doing this!" Sound familiar? In our productivity-obsessed culture, there's constant pressure to monetize our hobbies. But should you?

You wake up already behind. The to-do list is longer than the hours in the day. You fall into bed exhausted and wake up to do it all again. And in the middle of all this chaos, there's this little voice saying, "I miss creating. I miss having something that's just mine." But when? How?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

After the Sip & Stitch event, Kathleen kept hearing the same question: "How can I make more personalized embroidered gifts?" This episode is the answer. She's introducing new Canva templates designed to take the guesswork out of creating custom embroidered pieces — with seven embroidery-friendly fonts, sizing guides for different apparel sizes (newborn through 4T+), and six adorable embellishments.

I just hosted my first in-person Sip & Stitch event at Park Cafe, and now I’m sharing all the heartwarming, behind-the-scenes moments from the experience. From the magic of watching strangers become friends over embroidery hoops, to the invaluable teaching insights she gained, to gratitude for the people who make it all possible — this episode is a love letter to community and creativity.

Been away from your embroidery hoop (or any creative practice) and feeling guilty about it? This episode is your permission slip to start again — without the shame, without the pressure, and without believing you're back at square one.

Show Notes: Monday through Friday, Kathleen works her full-time marketing job and manages early kindergarten mornings, school pickups, dinner, and bedtime routines. Her weekdays are maxed out. So when does she build her creative business? Weekends. And it's not what you might think.

Show Notes: You love sharing your work, but showing your face? That's a whole different story. Kathleen gets it—she could post embroidery hoops all day, but putting herself in front of the camera makes her stomach drop. But something changed when she joined the Gary Vee x Stan Store challenge and heard one directive that shifted everything: "Nothing is more niche than you."

"Mommy, can I help?" Those four words can spark instant panic when you're in the middle of your creative work. Do you say yes and risk things getting messy? Or say no and feel guilty? This week while prepping boxes for a sip and stitch event, Kathleen's kids wanted to help—and she had to make a choice.

Show Notes: Do you automatically reach for your phone every time you have a free moment? You're not alone—and it's not your fault. In this episode, Kathleen shares a personal story from a recent road trip that completely changed how she thinks about screen time. Instead of scrolling for hours, she stitched a denim jacket—and the difference in how she felt was remarkable.

Feeling like you're perpetually behind where you "should" be with your creative business? In this vulnerable episode, Kathleen Lyons examines the powerful stories we tell ourselves about being behind — and why they're not actually true.

Show Notes: Feeling discouraged because your creative business isn't growing fast enough? In this vulnerable episode, Kathleen Lyons gets honest about almost walking away from her embroidery business because progress felt too slow — and why that would have been a mistake.

In this episode, Kathleen opens up about her recent craft show experience – from the nerve-wracking prep to the unexpected lessons learned when taking her online embroidery business into the real world.

What if your "imperfect" work is exactly what someone else needs to see? In this encouraging episode, Kathleen Lyons challenges the myth that you need to wait until you're "good enough" to share your creative journey.

What if your platform isn't measured in followers, but in the sacred space where you create? In this heart-stirring episode, Kathleen Lyons reframes what it means to have influence and impact as a creative person.

After getting hacked and nearly losing everything, Kathleen Lyons made a commitment to post on Instagram every single day. But this isn't about hustle culture or following someone else's blueprint for success.

What happens when your entire business platform disappears overnight? Kathleen Lyons shares the raw, honest story of how losing her Instagram account to hackers became the wake-up call she didn't know she needed.

Ever feel like you’re working so hard but nothing’s clicking yet? Like your creative goals are just out of reach? This episode is your reminder that what feels like burnout... might actually be a breakthrough in disguise.

In a world that tells us to hustle harder and turn every passion into a business, this episode is your gentle permission slip to just create.

Feeling excited to try embroidery but not sure where to begin? This episode is your friendly starting point. Kathleen breaks down exactly what makes a good beginner project and shares her top picks to help you build confidence and fall in love with stitching — no perfection required.

Ever felt like you’re chasing a dream no one else understands? In this heartfelt episode, Kathleen opens up about the early days of building Artsy Lyons — when embroidery was still just a side project, and polite smiles or confused stares were the norm.

If you’ve ever found yourself holding back from pursuing a creative dream — this episode is for you.

If you’ve ever said, “I’d love to be creative, but I just don’t have time,” this episode is for you. Kathleen shares how she carves out moments for stitching and creativity in the middle of motherhood, work, and everything else — no perfect schedule required.

Think you’re not creative? Think again. In this encouraging episode, Kathleen Lyons challenges the narrow definition of creativity and helps you see how you’re already creating beauty, connection, and meaning — even if you’ve never picked up a paintbrush.

Have you ever felt guilty for spending time on something creative — especially when there’s laundry to do or emails to answer? In this heart-centered episode, Kathleen reframes the idea of creativity as “just a hobby” and explores how hand embroidery became her personal form of self-care.

What if success isn’t about going full-time or going viral — but about the legacy you leave behind? In this deeply personal episode, Kathleen opens up about the mindset shift that helped her stop waiting for permission and start creating from a place of purpose, faith, and family.

In this heartfelt first episode, Kathleen Lyons shares her journey from childhood creativity to corporate burnout to rediscovering hand embroidery as a mom. Learn how her creative roots, motherhood, and a need for purpose led her to launch Artsy Ambition — a podcast for mamas chasing big dreams through small, intentional steps.

Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of starting your handmade business? You’re not alone — and you don’t need a master plan to begin. In this episode, Kathleen breaks down how to start simple, follow your passion, and take imperfect action toward your creative goals.

New to hand embroidery and not sure where to begin — or what tools you actually need to get started? In this episode, Kathleen breaks it all down and shares the exact supplies you need (and which ones you don’t!) to start stitching without the stress or overspending.

Welcome to Artsy Ambition — the podcast for creative moms building bold, beautiful lives alongside their little ones. I’m your host, Kathleen Lyons — hand embroidery educator, digital marketer, and mama of two — and I’m so glad you’re here.