Stories from Italy 01: Radio Deejay - Clara Woods

Everything started on February 21, 2018. That morning, we woke to something we could never have imagined. Clara was featured in a newspaper for the first time, and not just any newspaper, one of the most important ones in Italy: Corriere della Sera. Clara was only 11 years old. We had no experience with art, no experience with media, no idea how any of that world worked. For us it was just Clara painting because it made her happy.

I was at the office working when my phone started ringing. People were calling to tell me that Clara was being talked about on Radio Deejay. Linus and Savino were speaking about her on their show. For everyone around me, this was a big deal. But I was not born in Italy, so I had no idea who Linus and Savino were or how important Radio Deejay was. I quickly searched online, understood that something big was happening, and sent a WhatsApp message saying, hey, this is Clara’s mom, you are speaking about her, I am here if you need anything.

A few minutes later I was live on the radio with them. They interviewed me by phone right there, on the spot. It was the first time something like that happened to me. It felt surreal and exciting at the same time. They gave Clara a huge visibility that day. Clara loved that interview so much that she watched it again and again. I think she watched it hundreds of times. Even today, sometimes she opens the video and watches it again. I always find that very sweet. It shows how much that moment stayed in her heart, and in the end, that is what really matters.

Some time later, we were in Milan for an art show. At one point we found ourselves right in front of the Radio Deejay building. I looked at Clara and said, why don’t you paint a portrait of Linus and Savino, and we try to give it to them. By now, if you have followed our story for a while, you know I always feel that little signs appear at the right time. Clara made the portrait, but we had no idea how we would actually give it to them.

Around that time Clara had also been nominated by Forbes and Facebook as a Game Changer. This was in 2019. There was an event in Milan at the Triennale to celebrate it. We went there and something unexpected happened. We met Federico Russo, one of the hosts from Radio Deejay. He was incredibly kind. He gave us his WhatsApp number, and Clara, who was still a little kid, started sending him funny videos. We asked if he could help us organize a meeting so Clara could give the portrait to Linus and Savino. Clara also made a portrait for him, but that is a story for another blog.

Through Federico, we connected with Sara, who coordinates the show. She arranged for us to meet them after the program. It was such a special moment. Clara was emotional and happy, and they were very cool with her. The portrait Clara made was beautiful. We never really know how people will react to Clara’s art. We never expected that they would hang the portrait in their studio office, but they did. Sometimes we would see it there and think about how incredible that was, Clara’s artwork hanging inside Radio Deejay. Clara once told me that she feels very loved by them, that she knows they believed in her almost before anyone else.

Then life took us to California. Five years passed. When we knew we would be coming back to Italy for some events, the first thing I did was write to Sara. We asked if Clara could come back to Radio Deejay. Clara was completely out of her mind with excitement. We took a train to Milan just for that visit. And the funny part is that the day was February 24, 2026, almost the same date as the first time everything started.

Being there again was very emotional. Clara read a small thank-you message on her phone for Linus. He was moved by it. Unfortunately Savino was covering a big music festival and could not be there that day, but we hope to see him again soon. During the conversation we also discovered that Linus paints. That was a beautiful surprise. Once again they gave Clara a lot of visibility, but more than that they gave her something even more important, a sign that said we believe in you, keep going.

A few days later, Linus also came to Clara’s event in Milan and said some beautiful words about her, but that deserves its own story and blog post. Slowly, we will tell everything.

After the radio show, we walked out of the building, and while Clara was crying from the emotion, she was also laughing because lots of orders started arriving, especially for the Postcards from Italy collection. 

What a day that was. One of those days we will remember forever. A core memory in Clara’s journey as a professional artist and a human being. And we already know that one day we will be back on Radio Deejay. Who knows what we will share the next time?

Watch the Instagram video here