Host Alyson Stanfield talks with Iris Scott, a talented artist who has had tremendous success on social media. A large portion of the discussion was driven by questions from her dedicated followers. Iris shares how the social media landscape has evolved since the early days of her art career and how she adapts to those changes today, including her approach to TikTok and paid advertising. The insightful conversation also touches on: Iris’s time living in Taiwan, where the low cost of living was i...
Sep 12, 2024•34 min•Ep. 203
host: Alyson Stanfield In this episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield talks with Debra about her dynamic journey as an artist and entrepreneur. Debra reflects on her career that spans teaching, studio work, decorative painting, and involvement with various communities. She shares the challenges she faced navigating the competitive art world, her time running Artifactory decorative painting studio in the Bay Area, and her eventual move to Los Angeles to support her husband's acting career,...
Sep 05, 2024•32 min•Ep. 202
In this episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield chats with artist Julie deBoer, founder of Mastrius, a mentorship platform for artists. Julie shares her journey of discovering her unique style with the help of a mentor, and how she resisted what was coming out of her until she began understanding where it came from. She discusses the challenges of working with galleries, transitioning to solo sales, and the importance of community in the artist’s journey. Julie also delves into how Mastriu...
Aug 29, 2024•40 min•Ep. 201
host: Alyson Stanfield In the 200th episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield explores the deeper motivations behind artists' desires for more recognition and sales. She emphasizes the importance of pursuing true fulfillment in art, beyond external validation and social media metrics. Alyson shares her personal journey of prioritizing happiness over career stability and discusses various forms of fulfillment for artists, such as making their best work, gaining gallery representation, and rec...
Aug 22, 2024•11 min•Ep. 200
In this episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield talks with author and artist Alyson Sheldrake. Every month for ten years, Alyson Sheldrake has published Snapshot!, an extensive digital magazine that promotes her work, her husband’s photography, and local businesses. The most recent edition was 128 pages! In her words, Snapshot! covers art, photography, books, reviews, events, interviews, rescue dogs, authors, and news about the beautiful Algarve in Portugal. That’s a lot of territory, and,...
Aug 08, 2024•45 min•Ep. 199
Future plans, deadlines, and accountability are a necessary part of your success. Host Alyson Stanfield of Art Biz Success explains how artists can get stuck in cycles of procrastination without a structured calendar filled with exciting commitments. Alyson shares practical examples from her own life as well as from her experience with students and clients, and details how deadlines and accountability partners, including coaches and community groups, can help maintain momentum. Key takeaways inc...
Aug 01, 2024•12 min•Ep. 198
host: Alyson Stanfield In order for the art ecosystem to work, many rejections must be handed out. That means to have a successful art business and career, you must learn to deal with rejection. More to the point, in order to be successful in life, you have to learn to deal with rejection, regardless of your vocation. In this episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield talks with Megan Wimberley, who wants to help you move past rejection. As both an artist and a founder of the Cowgirl Artists ...
Jul 25, 2024•41 min•Ep. 197
What do we do about all of the art materials that are harming you and the planet? Kelly O’Brien has taken this concern to heart and completely changed how she makes work. She grows and uses biomaterials for her sculpture. Host Alyson Stanfield talks with Kelly about: 🔸 What biomaterials are and how they show up in Kelly’s new work. 🔸 The aesthetics of biomaterials. 🔸 Why Kelly isn’t concerned about the work lasting forever. 🔸 What you can do to incorporate more sustainable sources in your wo...
Jul 18, 2024•48 min•Ep. 196
Host Alyson Stanfield is joined by Jeff Schaller, who started an open studio tour in Pennsylvania at the height of the recession. It is still growing and supporting the participating artists. As he’ll tell you, Jeff is an artist first and foremost. Somehow he has created this other job for himself because he believes that artists can do well by connecting directly with collectors who visit them in their studios. Jeff and Alyson talk about: What it takes to put on a studio tour Which artists do w...
Jul 11, 2024•42 min•Ep. 195
Host: Alyson Stanfield If you've ever thought about sharing your artist story on a podcast—or pitching to anyone for publicity—this episode is for you. Join host Alyson Stanfield as she dives into the value of being a guest on The Art Biz and provides solid tips for pitching your art to any podcast for maximum publicity. (This information can also be adapted for any pitch you make for any reason.) Every artist has a unique journey, and sharing it can attract more fans, followers, and collectors....
Jun 27, 2024•15 min•Ep. 194
It’s possible to make more money and find a little more peace of mind by making a few tweaks in how you approach your art business. In this episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield talks with Monique Carr about how she has done it. When she reached out to Alyson a couple of years ago for a private coaching partnership, Monique was aiming for doing half the work, making twice the money, and having fun in whatever she did. She’s not quite at the twice the money part, but things have definitel...
Jun 20, 2024•36 min•Ep. 193
host: Alyson Stanfield Originally from a large metropolitan area, Tracey Hewitt married a rancher and, like Lisa Douglas in Green Acres, said goodbye to city life. But she never said goodbye to her art. Host Alyson Stanfield wanted to talk with Tracey because every encounter she has ever had with her as a member of our Art Biz Connection community has been positive. Tracey is funny, warm, and generous. And she knows how to live life to its fullest. Tracey helps run the family cattle business in ...
Jun 13, 2024•41 min•Ep. 192
What “game” are you playing in your art business and in life? Artist-writer-speaker Jason Kotecki makes the point that you have a unique game plan to follow—one that can’t be compared to another artist or online personality. In a conversation with host Alyson Stanfield, Jason shares his experience of overcoming comparison and jealousy, emphasizing the importance of focusing on your unique talents and contributions. He talks about the pivotal moment in a Philadelphia ballroom that led him to merg...
May 30, 2024•46 min•Ep. 191
host: Alyson Stanfield It might help (but isn’t necessary) to start this episode by listening to episode 189, which is an encore of a 2019 interview I did with Ali Cavanaugh when she was making big changes in her work life. In this episode, Ali and I catch up with all that has transpired in the last 5 years. We discuss: Her booming Patreon community that gives her so much joy. How she has pared back on the demands for her art and the boundaries she put in place to allow her to do that. The recen...
May 23, 2024•44 min•Ep. 190
host: Alyson Stanfield In 2014, Ali Cavanaugh had 11 galleries representing her work throughout the U.S. and even overseas. It was all she could do to paint fast enough to supply these galleries with new work. What a great problem to have! But it was still a problem. Then she started asking for it to be returned to her. She was rethinking her art and what her business model looked like. She worked hard to get to that point, the way things were going no longer worked well for her. She decided to ...
May 16, 2024•50 min•Ep. 189
host: Alyson Stanfield Elizabeth LeMaster, my guest for this episode of The Art Biz, has, like so many of us, more to balance than her studio practice and business. She has a family. A young family. A big family. A growing family. How do you find time for working on your art when you have 6 kids under the age of 8? 😳 Elizabeth and I talk about how she has done it because she wanted to share her tips with all artist-mothers out there. She is also very honest about the bumps along the road. Here’...
May 09, 2024•43 min•Ep. 188
host: Alyson Stanfield My utter bliss is to help artists make business systems that streamline their lives so they can spend more time in the studio. So when Skip Hill said he needed a system for following up with his collectors and important relationships, I knew I wanted to help. In this encore episode of The Art Biz, I walk Skip through the steps to create a plan for nurturing his relationships. We go through these steps to create his plan: What do you want to happen? By when does it need to ...
May 02, 2024•54 min•Ep. 187
host: Alyson Stanfield I want to talk about something that I think gets in the way of how you think about what a successful art business is or can be. I want to help you reframe your daily decisions, actions, and results (or lack thereof)—to embrace the volatility of an artist life. To understand that there will be highs and lows, and that just comes along with the territory. One of the most-used business metaphors is the ladder of success, which is problematic for two reasons: Nobody reaches th...
Apr 25, 2024•14 min•Ep. 186
host: Alyson Stanfield Some artists are fine working by themselves in their studios. Other artists need to move their art beyond the studio walls and into the public in order to be fulfilled. My guest for this episode is Marilyn Fontaine, a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in East London. Her work is spiritual with a strong foothold in feminine themes. She has begun marrying that work to the history of the local community—in particular, the stories of those who share her Afro-Caribbe...
Apr 18, 2024•41 min•Ep. 185
Host: Alyson B. Stanfield For so long, I asked artists Why they make art. Some artists have a Why. For other artists, being asked why they make art is unfruitful—even debilitating. They feel unworthy if they can’t come up with a good Why. A better strategy is to focus on the people who will be viewing, talking about, and living with your art. How does your art make people feel? Bernadette Jiwa says, "People don't buy why you do something. They buy how it makes them feel." If you think about it, ...
Apr 04, 2024•10 min•Ep. 184
Host: Alyson B. Stanfield In this episode of The Art Biz I talk with Lori Sokoluk and Susan Purney Mark, who met in my coaching group many years ago and started a collaboration during the pandemic. When I teach about collaboration, I’m usually talking about an exhibition or event. Lori and Susan took it to the next level and collaborated on the artwork itself—resulting in a two-person exhibition that recently closed. I wanted to know what the artmaking process was like when you’re presented with...
Mar 28, 2024•41 min•Ep. 183
Host: Alyson B. Stanfield Your list is something unique to you and your career. No one has this same list. No one makes art like you do; no one knows the same people as you do; and no one has the exact vision that you have. Nobody! Your list is almost worthless to anyone else, yet it’s invaluable to you. It is the primary tool you use to share your art with the world. It’s your #1 marketing asset, but worthless if you’re not using it. The definition of a mailing list isn’t as clear cut as it sou...
Mar 21, 2024•9 min•Ep. 182
Host: Alyson Stanfield, Art Biz Success My guest is Janice Mason Steeves, author of Bloom: On Becoming An Artist Later in Life. Which, as I say in our interview, is “a lovely mix of insights from a questionnaire, gentle guidance from someone who teaches and leads artist workshops all over the world, and wisdom from academics, professionals, and spiritual advisors.” Janice has been in my orbit for a long time and I have been dying to talk with her about this book, the seeds of which she mentioned...
Mar 14, 2024•45 min•Ep. 181
I believe in the power of daily affirmations. I first used them a number of years ago to increase my income and it worked. I increased my income 40% that year. And while I am not now as dedicated to reciting them daily, I know should be! I attribute the majority of my success back then to these affirmations. What possessed me to stop? 🤷♀️ I do not believe that reciting affirmations alone will move the needle. You must have the commitment to your goals in the first place and take appropriate ac...
Mar 07, 2024•9 min•Ep. 180
If you’re like a lot of the artist-clients that I work with at Art Biz Success, you would love someone to help you with social media. Or your website. Or maybe anything else to help lighten the load. Having any kind of help sounds like a dream. It may seem like an impossible dream. You might be looking for someone like my guest for this episode of The Art Biz: Hallie Edlund, a virtual assistant for artists. We discuss how she started doing this work and how she helps artists with social media an...
Feb 29, 2024•41 min•Ep. 179
In this episode, I have something a little different for you. I want to share a tool I found a number of years ago that helps me in life and in my business. And it’s helped many of my clients. It’s a life map, of sorts, called Human Design. Jahje Ives is an artist and a Human Design coach and guide. While I have worked with Human Design guides in the past, Jahje is the first artist I have met in this realm. I wanted her insights as to how knowing your Human Design could help with your art and ar...
Feb 15, 2024•55 min•Ep. 178
Two things are clear when it comes to pricing your art. 1️⃣ It’s a struggle for most artists. 2️⃣ There’s a good chance that your prices are too low. There are 5 reasons to raise your prices: 🔸 You’ve done the math and realized you aren’t paying yourself. 🔸 Your pricing has become uneven over time. 🔸 The cost of your materials has increased. 🔸 You can’t keep up with the demand for your art. 🔸 You start selling through galleries. I cover all of these in this episode and then tell you HOW to ...
Feb 08, 2024•12 min•Ep. 177
I like to say that your art isn’t complete until someone else experiences it. Until you’re standing in front of it and talking about it with people who are interested. In real life. Digital-only viewing doesn’t count. Every person who sees your work brings themselves and their background to your work—adding new layers of meaning to your original intention. My guest for this episode is Susan Abbott, and she recognizes the importance of getting her work out of the studio and in front of people. We...
Feb 01, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 176
So many artists are down on their galleries and considering leaving them. There are absolutely many reasons not to stick with your gallery, but that’s a different episode. I wanted to share the story of an artist who is thrilled with her gallery. My guest for this episode is Evita Tezeno—an artist who has grand ambitions for herself. Not content with the status quo, Evita aims for recognition by prestigious honors like the Guggenheim Fellowship and the MacArthur Fellowship, the so called “genius...
Jan 18, 2024•43 min•Ep. 175
Your artist website is your portfolio these days. It’s usually the first place people go to get a full picture of you and your art. They might initially find you on Instagram and scroll through the images there, but when their interest is piqued and they want to know more, they’ll click that almighty link in your bio. Your website is the 1 piece of virtual real estate that you have 100% control over. You select what people see and define how they will navigate the experience. Are you ready for t...
Jan 04, 2024•57 min•Ep. 174
