What does it take to walk away from nearly a decade in corporate finance and fully embrace the calling of art? In this episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with visionary artist Anna Irvine — founder of Le Beaux Travail Gallery — to talk about her courageous journey from boardrooms to brushstrokes, and the deeply human battles she overcame along the way.
Born in Bulgaria, shaped by South Africa, and seasoned by life in the U.S., Anna’s multicultural story is one of resilience, transformation, and the healing power of creativity.
Highlights from this interview:
~ From Bulgaria to South Africa to America: How Anna’s immigrant journey shaped her worldview, her empathy, and her creative spirit.
~The Bullying Years: Growing up feeling “different,” facing cruelty, and how creativity became a safe haven.
~ Discovering Art as Survival: The powerful story of how a single drawing of a ballerina changed Anna’s life forever.
~The Corporate Climb (and Collapse): Why excelling in finance left her unfulfilled, and what it feels like to “suffocate” in a job that doesn’t feed your soul.
~ Mental Health Struggles: Anna’s candid account of living with OCD, intrusive thoughts, and the terrifying spiral that led to hospitalization.
~ Breaking Free: The controversial advice from her aunt, the grueling detox process, and the moment Anna began reclaiming her mind and life.
~ Love and Anchors: How meeting her husband in college gave her strength during her darkest chapters.
~ Prophetic Dreams & Spiritual Awakening: The role her family’s faith and resilience played in her recovery.
~ Le Beaux Travail Gallery (Dallas, Tx): Building an art practice that celebrates myth, history, nature, and sustainability.

Why You Should Watch
This is more than an artist’s story — it’s a roadmap for resilience. Anna opens up about subjects many are too afraid to speak on: mental health, creative rejection, cultural displacement, and the hard truths about chasing passion over stability. If you’ve ever felt stuck in a life that wasn’t yours, Anna’s journey will move you, challenge you, and inspire you to honor your own creative calling.
Whether you’re an artist, entrepreneur, or someone navigating change, you’ll walk away from this episode with powerful lessons on empathy, perseverance, and finding beauty in even the hardest struggles.

Follow Anna Irvine & Her Work:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annapeev/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annairvineart/
Website: https://www.lebeautravail.com/

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#AnnaIrvineinterview #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #LeBeauxTravailGallery #artandmentalhealth #immigrantartiststories #creativityandhealing #overcomingOCD #leavingcorporateAmericaforart #resiliencethroughcreativity #sustainabilityinart #BulgarianAmericanartist #SouthAfricanimmigrantstory #womeninart #mentalhealthawarenessforcreatives

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Always remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich Wright

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