Sep 1, 2026
When was the last time you made something?
A drawing, a photo, a collage, a doodle in the margin of a notebook. Something you made with your hands because something in you wanted to.
Most of us have to think about it. And the longer we think, the further back the answer goes.
Somewhere along the way, we handed our creative lives back. Not all at once, and not on purpose. Just gradually, between the jobs and the responsibilities and the screens and the schedules, the things we used to make got quietly set aside. And we told ourselves we’d get back to them. And then we didn’t. And eventually we stopped telling ourselves that too.
My guest today has a lot to say about that.
Maria Gatling is one of the most genuinely creative people I know. She gives herself creative assignments every single week. She runs a weekly creativity group. She builds her own notebooks. She teaches short workshops and helps people start creativity clubs in their own communities. And the way she talks about creativity, not as a talent you either have or don’t, but as a practice you simply show up for, is something I think every single one of you needs to hear.
This conversation is a first for this podcast. Maria is the first guest I’ve ever had sitting right here in my studio. Same room, same table, no Zoom, and no screens between us. Just two people who love this topic, finally talking about it the way it was meant to be done. You can hear the difference.
Let’s get into it.
More About the Guest
Maria Gatling's life experiences across
publishing, advertising, art, and raising four children have shaped
everything she creates and teaches. She's the author of two
creativity workbooks, Coffee Break Creativity
- Grande! and Project 52, and she
facilitates small-group mini-workshops and short classes designed
to help people reignite their creative lives. She also helps others
start their own creativity clubs. Whether you consider yourself an
artist or have never picked up a paintbrush in your life, Maria
meets you exactly where you are.
Ripple with Maria:
Website
More About the Host
Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and
host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really
takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns
Owner Insite, a construction project management software company.
Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional
connection and 8-Minute Ripple events.
Ripple with Steve Harper: