Franziska Monahan Art, Words & the Stories In Between

Franziska Monahan

Art, Words & the Stories In Between

Latest Articles

Let Them See the Mess: Why Sharing Unfinished Work Might Be Your Bravest Creative Move
Creative Life

Let Them See the Mess: Why Sharing Unfinished Work Might Be Your Bravest Creative Move

There's a particular kind of terror in showing someone your work before it's done — before the rough edges are sanded smooth and the whole thing feels safe to hand over. But what if that terror is actually pointing you toward something important? Sharing work-in-progress might just be the most honest thing a creator can do.

Punching the Clock, Feeding the Muse: How the Boring Parts of Work Become the Best Creative Material
Art & Craft

Punching the Clock, Feeding the Muse: How the Boring Parts of Work Become the Best Creative Material

Most artists spend their working hours waiting to get home to their real creative life. But what if the fluorescent-lit, deadline-heavy, customer-facing grind is already the material? Some of the richest art ever made grew directly out of the most ordinary employment imaginable.

Every Artist Is a Thief: The Honest Case for Learning from the People Who Came Before You
Art & Craft

Every Artist Is a Thief: The Honest Case for Learning from the People Who Came Before You

Influence isn't plagiarism. Borrowing isn't copying. And the greatest creative minds throughout history have been unabashedly, enthusiastically indebted to the artists who shaped them. Here's why studying — and yes, imitating — your heroes might be the most legitimate art education you can get.

Making Art in the Dark: The Surprising Gift of Working Before Anyone's Paying Attention
Creative Life

Making Art in the Dark: The Surprising Gift of Working Before Anyone's Paying Attention

There's a strange kind of freedom that lives in obscurity — the kind that disappears the moment people start watching. Before the followers, before the feedback, before the metrics, there's just you and the work. And honestly? That might be the most creatively alive you'll ever feel.

Ink on Paper, Heart on Sleeve: Why Handwritten Letters Are the Most Honest Art Form Left
Art & Craft

Ink on Paper, Heart on Sleeve: Why Handwritten Letters Are the Most Honest Art Form Left

In a world of instant messages and disappearing stories, the handwritten letter refuses to die quietly. It turns out that slowing down enough to put pen to paper might be the most radical creative act you can do in 2024. We talked to artists, writers, and correspondence enthusiasts about why the epistolary form still hits different.

The Murky Middle: Surviving the Part of a Big Creative Project Nobody Talks About
Creative Life

The Murky Middle: Surviving the Part of a Big Creative Project Nobody Talks About

Every ambitious creative project has a honeymoon phase and a finish-line rush — but what about the long, unglamorous stretch in between? That's where most projects go to die. Here's what working artists, novelists, and makers have actually figured out about getting through it.