Episodes

Ep #101: Freedom, Flexibility, and Filling the Gap: How Melquea Smith Built a Creative Life Through Children's Book Illustration Summary In this episode, I sit down with Melquea Smith, a children's book illustrator, author, and world traveler who's redefining what it means to build a creative life on your own terms. Fresh off five weeks in Belgium (with cats and a chicken!), Melquea shares how losing her nonprofit job became the catalyst for going full-time as an illustrator, why representation ...

This conversation was recorded live at Lumpen Radio in Chicago on Saturday, January 10, 2026. Ep # 100: Chicago Artist Deirdre Fox on Turning Plastic Waste into Environmental Art & Visual Poetry Summary of the episode Chicago-based artist Deirdre Fox joins noseyAF for a live, unedited conversation from 105.5 FM Lumpen Radio about art, plastic waste, and environmental consciousness. Deirdre’s practice transforms discarded consumer packaging into drawings, fiber works, and installations that cha...

EP# 99 The Rise of Women’s Sports, NIL Money, and the Power of the Everyday Athlete with Angela Hollowell ✨ Episode Summary Women’s sports are having a moment — and it’s about time. In this episode of noseyAF, Stephanie Graham sits down with filmmaker, writer, and Melanin MVP founder Angela Hollowell to talk about the rise of women’s sports, the impact of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) money, and why the idea of the “everyday athlete” might change how we think about movement altogether. We g...

Ep #98: Print Your Legacy: Lawrence Nalls on Multi-Generational Photography and Pride Summary of the episode Lawrence Nalls, managing photographer of Forty Photography, shares the profound journey of building a multi-generational Chicago photography studio rooted in legacy, storytelling, and community service. In this conversation, Lawrence reveals how his father's Vietnam War documentation sparked a family tradition that's now entering its third generation. We explore the emotional weight of p...

Ep #97: Outcry Project: How Collective Scream Sessions Create Radical Empathy and Healing with Whitney Bradshaw Thank you for listening to noseyAF! So happy to have your ears! This conversation was recorded live at Lumpen Radio on Saturday, December 13, 2025 Summary of the episode What does it look like to be allowed together? In this powerful episode, artist and activist Whitney Bradshaw shares the story behind Outcry—her groundbreaking social practice project that brings women, non-binary, a...

Ep #96: Bring the Avalanche: How to Turn Rejection Into Motivation — with Maurice Proffitt “Trust yourself. This world will try to tell you otherwise every single day.”- Maurice Proffitt This conversation was recorded live at Lumpen Radio on Saturday November 22, 2025 Summary of the episode In this episode, we sit down with Chicago creative and producer Maurice Proffitt to talk about creative rejection, the fear of success, and what it really takes to build a career without waiting for permiss...

Ever wonder what a creative life really looks like beyond the highlight reel? I'm Stephanie Graham, an artist and filmmaker, and I host noseyAF conversations about art, activism, and social change. I ask the kind of honest questions that make people go, "Ooh, good one". We'll talk about when you knew you had to make a project, how you really handle rejection, and where the weirdest place inspiration struck. We have rich, fun, and honest talks with artists, activists, and everyday legends who a...

Ep # 95: Queer History Is Everywhere: Dr. Kate Henry on Archives, Rhetoric & Lisa Ben Summary of the episode Hey its Stephanie here! In this episode of noseyAF, we get into queer history, archives, and public scholarship with Dr. Kate Henry — writer, scholar, poet, and creator of Lisa Benography, a public scholarship project documenting Lisa Ben, the woman behind the first known lesbian magazine in the U.S. Kate and I talk about the magic and messiness of archives, what feminist historiography ...

Ep # 94 : Plant-Based Entrepreneur Niehla Ollie: From Beauty Industry to Homegirl’s Hummus This episode was recorded live on Saturday November 8th at Lumpen Radio in Chicago. Summary of the episode This week on noseyAF, I’m talking with Niehla Ollie, the creative behind Homegirl’s Hummus. After more than 20 years in the fashion and beauty world, Niehla had a late-night hummus craving in Milwaukee that changed everything. What started as a midnight snack moment turned into a full-on business bu...

Ep 93: Stop Overthinking Your Brand: A Real Talk Guide for Creative Entrepreneurs Summary of the episode In this episode of noseyAF, I sit down with brand designer and website strategist Bridget Baker to demystify the overwhelming world of branding for artists and creative entrepreneurs. Bridget shares her journey from professional dancer and choreographer to helping people build authentic brands that actually reflect who they are—not who they think they should be. We dig into why branding feels...

Ep #92: Voices of Survival — A Conversation with Filmmaker James Coney Thank you for listening to noseyAF! So happy to have your ears! Good Stuff Only 💅🏾 Fresh art, messy ideas, tiny victories, wild inspirations, candid stories, fun secrets, and the occasional surprise—straight from my studio to your inbox. Join artists, curators, gallerists, and art lovers getting first looks at new work 1-2x a month. → Subscribe to Good Stuff Only This episode of noseyAF was recorded live on Lumpen Radio ...

Ep #91: The Power of Intentional Community Building with Lindsey Lerner Summary of the Episode Hey friends! In this episode, I’m talking with Lindsey Lerner community builder, photographer, and creative strategist who’s all about shaking things up. Lindsey calls herself “allergic to the status quo,” and once you hear her talk, you’ll totally get why. Her project, Field Notes from the Work in the Wild, captures people in those quiet, in-between moments before the big break, before the outcome wh...

Ep 90: Using Art to Process Climate Anxiety and Loss: Katherine Seichen Rosing Summary of the episode In this deeply personal conversation, Madison-based artist Katherine Steichen Rosing shares how she uses immersive installations and abstract paintings to explore climate anxiety, environmental loss, and the intricate connections between forests and watersheds. Katherine opens up about processing grief through art—from losing her mother to witnessing climate change's impact on the landscapes sh...

Ep #89: Danielle Scruggs: Curating the Future of Black Filmmaking This conversation was recorded live in person on Saturday, September 27, 20205, at Lumpen Radio in Chicago. Summary of the episode In this episode of noseyAF, Stephanie talks with Danielle Scruggs—Chicago-based photo editor, photographer, writer, curator, and founder of Black Women Directors. Danielle recently curated File Under: Horror, a program spotlighting horror shorts by Black women and non-binary filmmakers. Together, the...

Ep #88: Everything is Mutual Aid with Autumn Breon Summary of the episode In this episode of noseyAF, I sit down with Los Angeles-based artist Autumn Breon to talk about what it really means to redefine Black excellence. Autumn’s work lives at the intersection of Black feminist praxis, historical memory, and speculative futures—spanning performance, installation, and public art. We talk about portals to other realities, the importance of rest and care in creative work, and why Black excellence ...

Ep #87 : Crafting Narratives: Insights from Filmmaker Kristina Thomas Summary of the episode This episode of noseyAF dives into the vibrant and multifaceted world of filmmaking through an engaging conversation with Kristina Thomas, a writer and director whose path in the industry is marked by resilience, creativity, and remarkable achievements. From her beginnings in East Oakland to her work in television and independent cinema, Kristina shares her journey with authenticity and humor. We explor...

Ep #86: EASE Framework: Decluttering Your Life During Career Transitions Summary of the episode In this solo episode of noseyAF, host Stephanie Graham opens up about navigating over a year without steady film work and how she's using this unexpected time for personal growth. She introduces her EASE framework—Eliminate, Accept, Simplify, Expand—a decision-making approach she developed while decluttering her life and dealing with the film industry's ongoing challenges. From working on her first mo...

Ep # 85: The Art of Environmental Empathy: Conversation with Christine Forni Summary of the episode Join me for a deep dive into the world of multidisciplinary artist Christine Forni, whose work beautifully weaves together themes of nature, science, and environmental empathy. In this conversation, we explore how Christine's childhood in the industrial landscapes of Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Detroit created the foundation for her unique artistic practice that examines the tension between urban ...

Tom Burtonwood: Art, Philosophy, Community and Pragstraction 🍧🍧Click Here to take the noseyAF Listener Survey! I Want Your Feedback Pretty Please! 🍧🍧 This week on noseyAF, Tom Burtonwood comes to speak I sit down with Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist Tom Burtonwood on nsoeyAF Live to talk about his recent exhibition at 21C Museum Hotel and his ongoing project, A Cube is a Rectangle. Tom’s work blends drawing, sculpture, and animation, engaging deeply with ideas of repetition and transform...

Ep 83: Navigating Life's Challenges using Human Design Insights and Bravery with Heather Vickery 🚨Help me make the show better—take the noseyAF Listener Survey!🚨 Take the listener survey here Summary of the episode In this episode of noseyAF, I sit down with Heather Vickery to talk about human design—not in a super spiritual way, but in a real-world, practical, “okay, so what do I do with this?” kind of way. Heather walks me through the basics of human design and how it can help us understand...

You Might Like Listening To: Wednesday Wellness Debrief 🎧 You Might Like Listening To is a short series where I share trailers from podcasts I think you’ll love. These shows are made by thoughtful, bold, and intentional creators—just the kind of people we love around here at noseyAF. This week, I’m featuring Wednesday Wellness Debrief, hosted by Brittany Biggett-Heeren. This podcast brings you supportive, educational conversations every Wednesday focused on optimizing your fitness and navigatin...

You Might Like Listening To: Empaths Anonymous 🎧 You Might Like Listening To is a special mini-series where I share trailers from podcasts I think you’ll love. These shows are created by creative, smart, and heart-centered folks who are exploring what it means to live fully and honestly—just like we do here on noseyAF. This week, I’m featuring Empaths Anonymous—a mental health podcast and support group for the BIPOC community, empaths, highly sensitive people, and anyone on a healing journey. H...

You Might Like Listening To: The Grad School Femtoring Podcast 🎧 You Might Like Listening To is a special mini-series where I share trailers from podcasts I think you’ll love. These shows are created by smart, bold, creative people who are asking big questions and making good trouble—the kind of folks we love around here at noseyAF. This week, I’m featuring The Grad School Femtoring Podcast, hosted by Dr. Yvette Martinez-Vu. What It’s About This award-winning podcast supports first-gen BIPOC...

Ep # 79: Crashing Weddings and Creating Art: Conversations with Ayana Major Bey 🚨Click Here to take the noseyAF Listener Survey Today Please!! 🚨 Summary of the episode: Welcome to episode #79! Stephanie welcomes multifaceted actor and creative force Ayana Major Bey for a profound discussion about the intricate balance between art and personal passion. The conversation explores Ayana's journey through acting, mentoring, and podcasting, illuminating the complexities inherent in the creative proce...