Why is it so hard for us to take care of ourselves? We all get busy. We feel a sense of urgency to keep up and do more. But if we're honest, we realize that very little is really urgent. Still, all of this hustle means we neglect habits and routines that will keep us well and give us energy for work in and out of the studio. And it's even harder when you're also responsible for caring for others. Whether you're a parent with growing children or an adult with aging parents, caregiving can take a ...
Dec 30, 2021•54 min
We need art. Some of us need it more than others, and for some of us, it's as necessary as the air we breathe. My guest on this episode of The Art Biz is Rich Simmons, a London-based artist who insists that art saved his life. Rich is not an art therapist, but he is an advocate for the therapy of an art practice. He knows from first-hand experience that art heals. Rich has struggled with depression and was eventually diagnosed with Aspergers. The realization that making art could make him feel b...
Dec 16, 2021•48 min•Ep. 112
There is an urgency to making the work and getting it out there so that you can find the people who respond to it, but it becomes much harder to accomplish much of anything if your body aches from the physically demanding work you do, or your shoulders are tense from hunkering over the computer all afternoon, or you're living on caffeine and wine, or especially if you aren’t sleeping. If you want to improve your productivity, and your health, then it’s time to focus on your self-care. What are y...
Dec 09, 2021•51 min•Ep. 111
Lots of artists make a good living, or at least a significant part of their income, from commissions. The standard commission process is something we don’t question, but what would happen if you turned the whole commission process on its head? In this episode I talk with Leisa Collins, who started her art business by targeting people whose homes she wanted to paint. After a few failed attempts at marketing her work, her career as a house portraitist took off. To date she has painted more than 2,...
Nov 18, 2021•57 min•Ep. 110
So many art venues shut down during the pandemic, and I'm sure many of the people that ran those venues mourn for not only what might have been, but also the fact that there wasn't an opportunity for closure. My guest for this episode of The Art Biz is Mai Wyn Schantz, an artist who was also a gallerist when she closed her space at the beginning of COVID. She hated to lose the relationships she had built over the years as the gallerist. She needed closure and she was determined to do right by he...
Nov 11, 2021•55 min•Ep. 109
People. You need them. You need people to buy your art, people to show your art, people to attend your shows, people to write about your work and let's face it. You need people to support you emotionally along the way. You need other artists around who get you. It's in these friendships that you will find understanding as well as ideas that challenge you to be a better artist. The relationships you nurture can sustain you, but you'll never know to what extent until you start taking them seriousl...
Nov 04, 2021•38 min•Ep. 108
We’re all about the quest for more followers, more likes, more shares, more views, and more comments these days. It feels good when more people respond to your art because art is a form of communication. It’s the means you use to share your ideas and your soul with the world. But that self-expression isn’t meaningful until other people respond. Until they comment, share, and start a dialogue with you about it. And when you put the work out there and don’t get the appropriate number of expected l...
Oct 28, 2021•12 min•Ep. 107
It takes a great deal of effort to find the right person to help with your art business, so you want to get it right. That means you need to find a way to retain good team members. You want them to take ownership in your business and pride in the work they do on your behalf. You may not be thinking about this from the beginning of the relationship with a new team member because you're so focused on getting the help you need fast. But you absolutely should be thinking about it: How do I keep good...
Oct 21, 2021•44 min•Ep. 106
In order to have a successful working relationship with anyone, you need guiding ground rules. You need employee policies and agreements, and boundaries have to be established, especially when you’re working with family. It can feel unnecessary to enact these formal arrangements with those close to us, and yet it's even more important to have them when you’re navigating the relationships that mean the most. In this episode of The Art Biz, I talk with Trudy Rice about her working relationship wit...
Oct 14, 2021•39 min•Ep. 105
It can be very difficult to hire someone to help with your business, but if you want your business to grow, there comes a point at which you must hire to support that growth. And the wisdom is to hire before you think you can afford it. In this episode I talk with Angela Fehr and Robin Edmundson. Angela has been building a thriving business teaching heart-led watercolor, along with a community of artists to support one another on that journey. She knew she needed help, but she wasn't prepared to...
Oct 07, 2021•53 min•Ep. 104
Whenever you have multiple styles or subjects, you probably also have multiple audiences. This can also mean that you're essentially running multiple businesses. I'd never tell you not to do this, though I'd be tempted, because experimentation and play are such important parts of your life as an artist. But I will always caution you about the extra work involved. Today we're examining the work and reward that comes with working in multiple styles. In my conversation with Robin Maria Pedrero you’...
Sep 30, 2021•55 min•Ep. 103
Does the thought of expanding your mailing list give you a headache? Do you constantly push tending your mailing list to the back burner because it feels like the least productive or enjoyable task on your lengthy to-do list? Your mailing list is your art business’s #1 marketing asset, but it’s absolutely useless if you aren’t using it and intent on growing it. Too many artists neglect their mailing lists simply because they don’t know the real power that it holds. In this solo episode, you’ll h...
Sep 16, 2021•19 min•Ep. 102
Why do we make things so difficult for ourselves sometimes? We don't mean to. It's our nature to appreciate simple solutions that we can quickly grasp and execute. I think we unnecessarily complicate our businesses because we lose focus. We get distracted by social media posts and emails. The next great invention makes it to our line of vision and we suddenly wonder how we ever did without it. And during this month while we're working on improving productivity, it's even more tempting to search ...
Sep 09, 2021•49 min•Ep. 101
Welcome to the 100th episode of The Art Biz! In this milestone episode, the tables are turned as I become the guest of host Cynthia Morris. Cynthia was one of the first guests on my second attempt at this podcast, and I have learned so much from her wit and wisdom. In our conversation, Cynthia is set on helping me not only celebrate this important milestone but also reflect on just how far this podcast has come and what it took to get it where it is today. More than just a self-congratulatory ep...
Sep 02, 2021•37 min•Ep. 100
What can you do if your art business isn’t profitable? When you’ve trimmed business expenses as far as you can, the only other thing you can do to be profitable is to increase your income. Your goal as the CEO of your art business should be to increase income and lower expenses while also increasing joy and lowering your frustration level. In this solo episode, you will learn about the income-accelerating plan that shapes a realistic strategy for increasing your income. This four-step process is...
Aug 26, 2021•12 min•Ep. 99
Being profitable as an artist doesn't necessarily mean you need to do more. Sometimes it's about doing less by being discerning about what you take on and where you invest your energy. This is extremely difficult to do when you are trying to show and sell your art. You want to do more. To add new income streams and the latest marketing platforms. The ads and social media posts want you to do more. But more is exhausting. My guest for this episode knows how to get what she wants without doing mor...
Aug 19, 2021•52 min•Ep. 98
Sometimes you just need to throw out the old models for doing business and try something totally new. Maybe you're bored with business as usual. Maybe the results aren't as profitable as they were in the past. Or maybe you are no longer enjoying the same old way of doing business. It's okay to go off-script. In this episode, I talk with ceramic artist Patricia Griffin. If you visit her website during certain times of the year, you won't see anything for sale because she has sold out. Zero invent...
Aug 12, 2021•51 min•Ep. 97
You’re most likely listening to this podcast because you are in the art business. It’s more than a hobby to you. It’s your professional line of work. In this episode I want to talk about profitability—what it takes not just to make and sell art, but to also make money and to ensure that you have a positive net income in your art business. As the CEO of your art business there are things you — and only you — need to be doing to make sure that you are running your business in the most profitable a...
Aug 05, 2021•13 min•Ep. 96
Failure. We all fear it, especially in our art businesses. But failure is necessary for growth. If you are succeeding at everything, there is no way you're learning and growing. My guest today is ambitious and knows what she wants, and she is not afraid to fail. In our interview, you'll hear about Laura Petrovich-Cheney’s philosophy that failure is the result of not listening to your instinct and not doing your best. Laura talks about a few failures she has learned from, why it's helpful to have...
Jul 29, 2021•41 min•Ep. 95
There is no such thing as the artist's path. Look at the careers of 50 artists side-by-side and you'll see 50 different paths. And probably none of them happened exactly as planned. In this episode I talk with Leah Smithson about her path, which kicked into gear after her father suffered a massive stroke and she began researching how creativity works in the brain. Leah's interest in learning has led to her untraditional portrait paintings, line of jewelry, public art, and murals. You'll also hea...
Jul 22, 2021•45 min•Ep. 94
Many artists take risks in their businesses and in their art without even thinking about it. They are hard-wired to experiment and stretch the boundaries of what is possible. Artists are innate problem solvers. My guest for this episode is one of those artists. The list of what Michael Gadlin has done (legally) to earn a living as a working artist for more than 20 years is impressive. He sells originals, consults, teaches, designs, builds websites, and even hosted a show on public television. He...
Jul 15, 2021•56 min•Ep. 93
Are you afraid to take risks in your art business? Do you spend your time playing it safe and sticking with what is comfortable and familiar in order to avoid facing the fear of the unknown? If so, you’re not alone. We are hard-wired for the protection that will keep us safe, but avoiding risks can also keep you small when you give up the power of decision-making. Avoiding risks can hold you back from becoming the artist you are meant to be in the world. In this solo episode, I will introduce ou...
Jul 08, 2021•13 min•Ep. 92
Who do you think you are? If that thought has ever crossed your mind, this episode is for you. My guest is corporate-world-turned-full-time-artist Christa Forrest, and our topic is one that most of us experience at some point in our art careers and businesses: Imposter Syndrome. Christa is a big advocate for "fake it til you make it," but that doesn't mean that she doesn't have doubts and insecurities. In this episode, you'll hear how Christa developed thick skin by showing her work at art festi...
Jun 23, 2021•49 min•Ep. 91
Elitism in the art world is not an easy topic to tackle — it’s something that I even grapple with. To help make sense of these complex issues, I’ve invited Megan Auman back to the podcast. Megan and I talk about what exactly the art world is and dive into problems that occur when entire groups of people are excluded from the art world (or art worlds , I believe). Elitism in this art world, the art world that is written about in newspaper reviews and whose artists are shown in museums and sold at...
Jun 17, 2021•49 min•Ep. 90
Appearances shouldn’t matter, but we all know they do. We only have seconds to make a good first impression because, like it or not, people start forming an opinion of you from the moment they see you or your art, hear your voice or read something you’ve written. As much as I would love to focus solely on the presentation of my client’s work, I can’t avoid addressing the equally important aspect of the professional appearance of the artist themselves. You are your brand, and with the ever-increa...
Jun 10, 2021•43 min•Ep. 89
At what point do you get to call yourself an artist? What do you need to have achieved in order to earn that title? It's not an easy question to answer, and too many of my clients think they need to be working as a full-time artist before they can officially assume the title. Until that point, they are teachers, marketing agents, engineers, and doctors. However, there is no magic point when someone else is officially going to bestow the title of artist upon you. To help you determine what makes ...
Jun 03, 2021•50 min•Ep. 88
I get tons of podcast pitches, but none have been better than the one I recently received from Lilianne Milgrom. It was right on target. Lilianne had just finished writing a book, and, while I was skeptical, her pitch was perfect. I gave her book a go and could not put it down. It contained art history, intrigue, sex, and scandal. How could it not be fascinating? But my conversation today with Lilianne isn't only about the book. It's the story of how the book came to be — which is a lesson in it...
May 27, 2021•54 min•Ep. 87
Collaborations aren't for the faint of heart—especially for artists who are used to working alone and making decisions without having to get approval from another human being. But my guests today have figured out how to make it work. In this episode I talk with Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin about how their Cold Wax Academy got off the ground. They were my guests way back in episode 9 from 2017 when we discussed the publication of their book, Cold Wax Medium . Their collaboration has only ...
May 20, 2021•53 min•Ep. 86
This month we're exploring the topic of adjusting your approach, whether it’s making little tweaks, looking at new possibilities, or even turning your art business and career upside down. My guest today proves that making these adjustments can give us better results or maybe just make us happier. Kelly M. O'Brien has been selling a lot of work since 2015, in a way that surprised her at the time. And while she has continued that work, she has added new work—what she calls emerging work— since dec...
May 13, 2021•44 min•Ep. 85
The idea of letting go of something that is safe but isn’t contributing to the life you want to live can be a very scary one. But my guest today has proven that cleaning out in order to follow your dreams just might be the best thing you could do for your art business. Lea K. Tawd did some of my favorite kind of cleaning out last year. She cleaned out obligations and associations that were taking her away from the work she was meant to do in this world, and the payoffs increase as her income str...
Apr 22, 2021•37 min•Ep. 84
