The Art Biz – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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, which also opened new opportunities for her.

Debra emphasizes the importance of enthusiasm, showing up daily, and the step-by-step process of building an art career. She also touches on the benefits of engaging with people, the power of reaching out, and the satisfaction of participating in jury shows and contributing to the community.

📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/disman-adapting

⭐️ Connect with Debra and see more of her art: https://debradisman.com/

🔶 Does your art business need a boost or a refresh? Please see my comprehensive art-marketing program, Essentials for Artist Success 🔶  full of tools, strategies, and process you need to establish your professionalism and increase your visibility. For those with beginning and emerging art careers and those who need to approach their business with more thought and intention.

🎧 RELATED EPISODES

Boldly Reaching Out to Art World Influencers with Laurence de Valmy (ep. 108)

Lessons from a Wildly Successful Pop-up Art Gallery Event with Mai Wyn Schantz (ep. 109)

Overcoming Anxiety about Making Art World Connections with Heather Beardsley (ep. 160)

⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

~ ~ ! ATTENTION INDIGENOUS ARTISTS and BIPOC ARTISTS ! ~ ~

This is an invitation to all Indigenous and BIPOC artists, wherever you are in the world, to share your story here on The Art Biz. Here’s how ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/

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 Mastrius differs from other online learning platforms by focusing on personalized mentorship and community support.

The episode wraps up with one of Alyson’s favorite discussions: how Julie finds the time to fit everything in while prioritizing her art.

🎧 RELATED EPISODES

Expanding Your Skillset to Respond to Opportunities with Detour (ep. 128)

Being an Artist with Geoffrey Gorman (ep. 124)

Planning a Year's Worth of Artwork with Dawn Williams Boyd (ep. 72)

📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/deboer-style

⭐️ Connect with Julie and see more of her art: https://juliedeboerart.com

🔶 Does your art business need a boost or a refresh? Please see my comprehensive art-marketing program, Essentials for Artist Success 🔶  full of tools, strategies, and processes you need to establish your professionalism and increase your visibility. For those with beginning and emerging art careers and those who need to approach their business with more thought and intention.

⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

~ ~ ! ATTENTION INDIGENOUS ARTISTS and BIPOC ARTISTS ! ~ ~

This is an invitation to all Indigenous and BIPOC artists, wherever you are in the world, to share your story here on The Art Biz. Here’s how ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/

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 the Australian bush, which takes up a good hunk of her time.

Aside from her duties on the ranch, Tracey is and always has been an artist, though the label of “artist” wasn’t easy for her to adopt—a hurdle many artists must overcome.

[ See How Do You Know When You’re an Artist? with James Holmes ]

Today, through her teaching and life coaching practices, Tracey helps other artists get comfortable with their creativity and, if they like, with calling themselves artists. You’ll be inspired by her optimism.

💁‍♀️ There are 4 ways that I can support you in your art business: 1️⃣ art-marketing training in my Essentials course 2️⃣ a community that provides structure to your days 3️⃣ higher level artist group coaching, and 4️⃣ private consulting.

Find details: https://artbizsuccess.com/work-with-me/

📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit artbizsuccess.com/optimism-hewitt

⭐️ Connect with Tracey and see more of her art: https://traceyhewitt.com/

🎧 RELATED EPISODES

These episodes feature other artist-teachers.

Maintaining Your Studio Practice with a Busy Teaching Schedule with Sally Hirst ****(ep. 164)

Using Patreon as a Teaching Platform with Kimberly Santini (ep. 156)

Making a Living as a Teaching Artist with Elizabeth St. Hilaire (ep. 4)

The Joy in Artist Community and Paring Back Obligations with Ali Cavanaugh (ep. 190)

⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

~ ~ ! ATTENTION INDIGENOUS ARTISTS and BIPOC ARTISTS ! ~ ~

This is an invitation to all Indigenous and BIPOC artists, wherever you are in the world, to share your story here on The Art Biz. Here’s how ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/

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 hear a new definition for your mailing list that just might inspire you to give it your full attention again. You’ll learn about the five groups of people that need to be included in your list and how you should treat each of them. You will also hear about the upcoming Grow Your List program — our final program for 2021 that is designed to help you create a reliable system to attract new people to your list and nurture them in ways that can make a major difference in your art biz success.

Highlights

• How important is your mailing list, really? (1:30)

• Questions to ask yourself about your mailing list. (2:24)

• Broadening your definition of a mailing list to include everyone you know. (3:12)

• The five groups of people that need to be on your list. (4:44)

• The hardest part about growing your mailing list — and what to do about it. (8:47)

• How not to grow your mailing list, and what to do instead. (9:49)

• Finding the fuel that will power the growth of your list. (14:24)

Resources

• Complete transcript, images, and listener comments

• Grow Your List program at Art Biz Success

• Free e-course: 31 People Who Can Help Sell Your Art

Quotes

• “When clients aren’t getting good results I can often trace it back to the fact that they’re neglecting their lists.” — Alyson Stanfield

• “Your mailing list is the number one asset in your art business, but only if you continue to develop it.” — Alyson Stanfield

• “You have to treat everyone on your list well.” — Alyson Stanfield

• “It’s not easy to get people on your email list right now, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.” — Alyson Stanfield

• “Stop looking for shortcuts. Start doing the hard — and much more interesting — work of caring about people and connecting with them authentically.” — Alyson Stanfield

 

First posted: https://artbizsuccess.com/people-on-your-list/

Grow your mailing list: https://artbizsuccess.com/growyourlist

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 for solutions outside of ourselves.

But the truth is, you probably already have everything you need to simplify your to-do list and increase your productivity. To help unpack this idea, I’m joined on this episode of The Art Biz by Amelia Furman, who says that her to-do list was out of control before she took charge and started eliminating obligations from her life. She tells us why simplifying has become a way of life for her; what exactly she has simplified; and how she schedules her days, weeks, months and even her year in a way that is more productive than ever.

Highlights

• Amelia shares her artist's journey. (2:19)

• The breaking point that revealed that Amelia’s to-do list was out of control. (4:53)

• For Amelia, making big changes starts with a deliberate start to every day. (9:58)

• Why is simplifying so important? (13:29)

• Focusing on one goal or one word each year can help you recall what matters most. (15:05)

• Setting boundaries and saying no helps Amelia reach her main goals. (22:00)

• Doubling her gross income doesn’t mean that Amelia is doing more of everything. (24:17)

• How to schedule your time in more productive ways. (26:08)

• What does your ideal day look like? What about an ideal week or month? (29:45)

• Bullet journaling, calendaring and planning your life. (35:32)

• How to create a loose monthly flow that allows you to meet your goals. (37:38)

• Simplifying, eliminating and focusing have increased Amelia’s productivity. (40:18)

• The value of participating in a business owners group. (42:00)

• Amelia’s advice for simplifying a complicated artist's life. (45:26)

• A look at what is coming up next for Amelia. (46:30)

Mentioned

• Bullet Journaling

• The Originals by Adam Grant

• Amelia Furman

• Amelia Furman on Instagram

Resources

• Complete transcript, images, and listener comments

• Artist Planning Sessions

• Free e-course: 31 People Who Can Help Sell Your Art

 

Quotes

• “A to-do list can help you get all the things done, which is awesome until it’s the end all be all. Then it’s not awesome anymore.” — Amelia Furman

• “Organizing what needed to happen for that day only really helped to focus in and start this journey toward simplicity.” — Amelia Furman

• “Now I’m not saying yes to things just because I can do them. I’m saying yes to things based on my goal.” — Amelia Furman

• “So much of this is being honest with myself about how much time something actually takes.” — Amelia Furman

• “I have no further plan beyond each day, and that really helps me stay focused on that day and simplifies it so much in my mind.” — Amelia Furman

• “Be brave and start taking stuff out.” — Amelia Furman

About My Guest

Amelia Furman grew up in rural, central Pennsylvania amidst pastoral scenes of farms, fields, and forests, and now calls Colorado home. Nature has captured her attention for as long as she can remember. Visual arts were also a dominant force in Amelia’s life from an early age. After graduating with a degree in visual art from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2003, Amelia began to explore how she could use paint to express her love of the natural world.

Amelia’s background in printmaking and illustration has heavily influenced the direction of her work. She works in a combination of paper collage, text and thin layers of acrylic paint. Using a selection of documents, vintage images, handwritten text, and symbols associated with the painted image, Amelia reminds the viewer that places and objects have many layers of meaning, memory, and beauty.

First posted: https://artbizsuccess.com/simplifying-furman-podcast

Make a plan for your art business: https://artbizsuccess.com/planningsessions

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 episode, together we discuss the value of acknowledging your progress, however imperfect it may be. We share what it takes to do the work, create the content, and develop the tenacity that results in milestones worth celebrating.

Highlights

• Why should you take time to celebrate milestones? (0:07)

• Alyson reflects on the progress she has achieved at this milestone podcast episode 100. (2:16)

• Fumbling your way toward success means just doing it! (6:04)

• What helps Alyson maintain consistency in her content? (9:06)

• The value of taking full responsibility for your commitments. (12:55)

• Overcoming the challenges that might be holding you back. (16:32)

• The systems that make podcasting a seamless part of Alyson’s life. (19:46)

• Celebrating progress starts with reflecting on where you might be otherwise. (24:55)

• The tools that Alyson uses to organize and produce this podcast. (27:23)

• Celebrating milestones, developing key qualities and recognizing your progress. (32:41)

Mentioned

• Donald Miller’s Business Made Simple Podcast

• Cynthia Morris’s Stumbling Toward Genius Podcast

• Notion app

• Descript audio and video editing

• Podfly podcast production

Resources

• Show notes, featured artists, and listener comments

• Artist Planning Sessions

• Free e-course: 31 People Who Can Help Sell Your Art

 

Quotes

• “When we don't acknowledge the milestones, when we don't pause to savor and appreciate and see what we did that brought us there, we really lose out on a lot of the benefits that we've accrued in the course of making our way to that milestone.” — Cynthia Morris

• “Every milestone shows you that you are making progress.” — Alyson Stanfield

• “We've seen so many people sit on the sidelines of things because they haven't figured out the right way or the perfect way. And then they never do anything.” — Cynthia Morris

• Your plan is going to be imperfect and you just may have to change it.” — Alyson Stanfield

• “When you promise something to people you’re promising something to yourself.” — Alyson Stanfield

• “You can’t make more money if you’re doing all the things that you’re not good at.” — Alyson Stanfield

• “The more artists that I talk with, the more artists I'm able to help and the better advice or consulting or coaching I can give.” — Alyson Stanfield

• “You’re not really living unless you’re learning.” — Cynthia Morris

About the Guest Host

Cynthia Morris helps writers, artists and entrepreneurs make their big dreams a powerful reality. Cynthia is a certified coach, teacher, author and artist. In 1999, she founded Original Impulse, a boutique coaching company that empowers creative people to focus, follow through and finish projects that matter.

The author of The Busy Woman’s Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book, Cynthia has published seven e-books on writing and creative travel as well as the Paris historical novel, Chasing Sylvia Beach. She is a watercolor artist and visual journal keeper who uses art as a way to express joy and consistently access inspiration.

Follow Cynthia on Instagram.

First posted: https://artbizsuccess.com/celebrating-achievements-podcast

Build your well-greased art biz machine: https://artbizsystem.com

 

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 what you need to begin to more easily visualize a more profitable future. If you’re ready to dramatically up level your business IQ by gaining insights into where your income came from, where it can come from, and how you can make it happen, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Highlights

• You cannot be content to just break even in your art business. (:10)

• The value of creating an income-accelerating plan. (1:20)

• How can you make a plan for more money when you don’t know if anyone will buy your art? (2:35)

• Step 1- Figure out where your income has been coming from. (3:38)

• Step 2- Analyze the numbers and what they can tell you. (6:32)

• Step 3- Set your next income goal. (7:25)

• Step 4- Make a plan that will allow you to achieve your new income goal. (8:51)

• Join the Artist Planning Sessions to get real about the work you can realistically commit to. (9:35)

• What other artists are saying about the income-accelerating process. (10:57)

Resources

• Complete transcript, images, and listener comments

• Artist Planning Sessions

• Free e-course: 31 People Who Can Help Sell Your Art

• Intro and outro music by Wildermiss

Quotes

• “Don’t be content to break even when running an art business.” — Alyson Stanfield

• "You need money to survive and shouldn’t be ashamed to admit it.” — Alyson Stanfield

• “One of the best things you can do to improve your chances of success in any area is to create a plan.” — Alyson Stanfield

• “You make a plan because you’re the CEO of your art business and that’s what CEOs do.” — Alyson Stanfield

• While you don’t have any control over results, you do have control over the actions you take (or don’t take) to get the results.” — Alyson Stanfield

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 more. Jill Soukup, who has been a student and client of mine over the past decade, is dedicated to becoming a better artist. She methodically improves her work to make sure that her career, her business, and her life are what she wants them to be.

In this conversation, Jill and I discuss how and where she sells her work, how teaching fits in with her income plan, how she makes sure she remains profitable, and why it's important for her to keep things simple.

Highlights

 

• Jill’s transition to full-time artist and where she shows and sells her art today. (1:51)

• The inspiration behind Jill’s Western-themed art. (5:56)

• Selling on Instagram is changing the dynamics of Jill’s work. (8:39)

• Logistics of selling prints and giving customers what they want. (11:34)

• You have to spend money to make money. (15:25)

• The strategies that allow Jill to get work done without working harder. (19:31)

• For Jill, doing less has resulted in even more success in her art business. (23:47)

• Dedication to your craft and honing your skills is the hallmark of an exceptional artist. (29:10)

• Teaching, raising prices, and decreasing her painting output keeps Jill’s income steady. (30:45)

• Bookkeeping details and how Jill knows she is profitable. (37:24)

• Why is simplifying so important in Jill’s business — and life? (40:56)

• Insights from Jill’s typical work day and what she's working toward now. (46:14)

 

Mentioned

• Jill Soukup

• Jill on Instagram

• Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale

• Ranchlands

• Later social media scheduling

 

Resources

• Complete transcript, images, and listener comments

• Artist Planning Sessions

• Free e-course: 31 People Who Can Help Sell Your Art

• Intro and outro music by Wildermiss

 

Quotes

• “As artists we ebb and flow in our process and what we’re producing.” — Jill Soukup

• “This experience is teaching me to dig deeper and to see things that I wasn’t seeing before.” — Jill Soukup

• “At that point I recognized that I was so overwhelmed. I wasn’t making any decisions because I had too many decisions to make.” — Jill Soukup

• “At that moment I realized what really was important to me, and that all of the other things on my list were not even necessary.” — Jill Soukup

• “Everything I chose to do had to meet one of my three goals and it just simplified everything. And it was such a beautiful thing.” — Jill Soukup

 

About My Guest

Jill Soukup was born in Buffalo, New York. Shortly thereafter, her family moved to Colorado, where she still resides. Jill’s affinity for horses as a young girl resulted in countless drawings and studies of them, which made for a strong drawing foundation. As a teen, she started a pet-portrait business, acquired jobs painting murals, and designed logos for local organizations. Jill graduated from Colorado State University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Fine Art. There, she received awards for illustration and design and worked as an illustrator and designer for the university. She initially pursued a career in graphic design while continuing to paint part time. After 11 years as a designer, she made the switch to full-time painting. Her work continues to gain recognition as she receives awards, appears in national publications, and shows in important juried and one-woman exhibitions.

 

First posted: artbizsuccess.com/online-events-griffin-podcast

Let’s do this together: https://artbizsuccess.com/community

Music by https://wildermiss.com

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 inventory. What you will see are items she has sold and an opportunity to get on her list so you don't miss a chance to purchase the next time her shop opens.

Patricia and I discuss what she refers to as events — the 3- or 4-times a year sales of her ceramics that sell out within hours and have led to a dramatic increase in income. She'll describe the philosophy behind them, the promotional timeline, the collaborations to help raise money for nonprofits, and how the events are a valuable tool for her to cultivate relationships with buyers and potential buyers.

Highlights

 

• The book that changed the course of Patricia’s artistic life. (2:04)

• Patricia’s cautious first step into selling her art. (6:35)

• A visual description of Patricia’s functional stoneware. (8:52)

• An overview of Patricia’s sales philosophy and the online sales events that bring in more orders than she can quickly fill. (11:20)

• The learning curve that comes with selling art in a non-traditional way. (15:46)

• Cultivating a studio friends list allows Patricia to connect with interested buyers. (17:47)

• Timing sales events and refining the sales process. (21:50)

• How many pieces does Patricia have ready to go when her events go live? (26:25)

• The benefit of connecting your Instagram feed to your sales website. (27:14)

• Marketing for sales events and what launch day looks like for Patricia. (28:53)

• Collaborating with a non-profit does not have to mean donating your work for free. (33:05)

• Hosting online events, for Patricia, has resulted in a dramatic increase in sales and skills. (34:43)

• Stories of creating connections and increasing loyalty with buyers. (36:20)

• How to create the deadlines that will result in increased sales. (39:16)

• The success of Patricia’s most recent online event — by the numbers. (41:04)

• Which social media platform brings in the greatest number of customers? (43:18)

• How does Patricia balance the need to produce art for her soul and the need to produce art for her business? (46:07)

 

Mentioned

• Patricia Griffin Ceramics

• Patricia on Instagram

• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

• The Artist’s Way

• Ayumi Horie

• Shopify

 

Resources

• Complete transcript featured artists and listener comments

• Artist Planning Sessions

• Free e-course: 31 People Who Can Help Sell Your Art

• Intro and outro music by Wildermiss

 

Quotes

• “I like the association with the people who are buying my art through online sales. I don’t know that doing it another way would cultivate the same kind of relationships that I have now.” — Patricia Griffin

• “Some of these people had been on my email list for years and maybe just purchased something for the first time.” — Patricia Griffin

• “Hosting online events has been really beneficial, not only to my business but also to my skills.” — Patricia Griffin

• “I don’t think I would have had those commissions if it wasn’t for the online events.” — Patricia Griffin

• “I’ve really felt the pull to do something else and get back to some of the experimenting that I like to do.” — Patricia Griffin

• “I’m continually walking that tight line between the need to produce art in my soul and the need to produce art in my business hat.” — Patricia Griffin

 

About My Guest

Patricia Griffin is a potter-artist in the seaside community of Cambria on California's central coast. She makes functional ceramics that are hand-thrown and hand-built and etched with designs that look like woodcuts. Griffin’s work is sold primarily through shopping events held three to four times a year on her website.

First posted: artbizsuccess.com/online-events-griffin-podcast

Let’s do this together: https://artbizsuccess.com/community

Music by https://wildermiss.com

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 and productive way possible. From running the numbers in your books to delegating the menial tasks that someone else can do so that you can focus on making art, I offer six different ways that you can ensure profitability in your art business.

 

Highlights

 

• Getting serious about making money out of your art business—not your art hobby. (0:01)

• Yes, you really are the CEO of your art business. What exactly does that mean? (1:42)

• Art business CEOs know when and how to ask for help. (3:53)

• CEOs do what they do best and they delegate the rest. (4:43)

• Do you know exactly how you are spending money in your art business? (5:30)

• What you will learn from analyzing your profit and loss statements. (6:37)

• 3 evolving art business trends you need to be aware of. (9:23)

• A look at the upcoming and inspiring episodes on the Art Biz Podcast. (12:02)

 

Mentioned

• IRS Hobby Loss Rules

• 31 People Who Can Help You Sell Your Art

• What Is Your Art Business Costing You? (links to Liz Crane post)

• Ripping Through the Veils of Illusion Around Online Art Marketplaces by Liz Crane

• Art Biz Podcast Episode 18 with Helen Hebert

 

Resources

• Complete transcript, featured artists, and listener comments

• Art Career Success System

• Art Biz Success Community

• Intro and outro music by Wildermiss 

 

First posted: https://artbizsuccess.com/ceo

Let’s do this together: https://artbizsuccess.com/community

Music by https://wildermiss.com