What does it actually feel like to build the career you always wanted — and then realize the hard part isn't over? Photographer Mei Tao has spent decades behind the lens for Apple, J.Crew, and major publications. But in this conversation, she gets honest about what commercial success doesn't tell you: that the work stays hard, that achievement keeps moving the goalpost, and that the most meaningful art she's ever made has nothing to do with her biggest clients. We talk about growing up as an immigrant in Brooklyn, finding herself in candy store magazine racks, and the moment she realized her father's private recordings were her most precious inheritance. And we get into the question every working creative eventually has to answer — how do you feel like yourself in your work? Chapters 00:00 - Defining the Radical Art of Care 03:44 - Cultural Shock and the Move to New York 05:52 - Magazines as a Gateway to Fashion 08:05 - Navigating Parsons and the Practicality of Art 09:14 - Technical Mastery and the Business of Artistry 12:39 - Success as a Series of Failures 15:44 - Redefining Professional Achievement 18:15 - The Cost of Code-Switching 21:00 - Documenting Family and Artistic Influences 24:45 - Processing Grief and History Through the Lens 27:28 - Financial Freedom and Fine Art Discipline 29:19 - Diving into Motion and Radical Storytelling Connect with Mei: Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taomeitao/ Website: https://meitaophotographer.com/ Support the show Website: Martine SeverinFollow on Instagram: Martine | This Is How We CreateSubscribe to the Newsletter: Martine's Substack This is How We Create is produced by Martine Severin. This episode was edited by Daniel Espinosa. Podcast show art is designed by Violetta Encarnación. Music by Timothy Infinite. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Leave a review Follow us on social media Share with fellow creatives