From Relief to Revenue: 5 Years into Her Art Business with Dawn Trimble (250)

host: Alyson Stanfield

In 2020, Dawn Trimble was laid off from her interior design job during the pandemic while navigating a divorce—and she felt relief. That moment became a turning point. Within months of painting full-time, she launched her first collection, which sold out in days and matched her corporate paycheck.

Dawn talks about the practical steps she took to build momentum, what she brought from her design background into her art business, how she thinks about creativity as service rather than self-expression, and why she believes the most important thing any artist can do is simply start.

HIGHLIGHTS

01:40 Dawn describes her serene watercolor paintings

03:00 The relief of being laid off during the pandemic

05:40 Creating her first collection and selling out in days

08:00 The three-legged stool business approach

26:00 Wall covering licensing partnerships that surprised her with the size of the first checks

29:00 How she structures her week

32:00 Marketing through storytelling and connection

39:00 The "Memories" collection and her father's dementia

44:00 Her faith, viewing herself as conduit, not source

47:20 Her advice to other artists: just do it

DAWN'S ACTION FOR YOU

Dawn reminds us that everyone has insecurities and everyone is afraid. But you have to start anyway. As she mentioned, inspiration has to find us working.

You can't sit around wishing—it has to be an action. So this week, get into your studio and make something. Let inspiration find you working.

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

Connect with Dawn and see more of her art: https://dawnmtrimbleart.com

🔶 If you've ever felt like you're doing all the things but not seeing sales, or if you're tired of people saying "I love your work" without pulling out their wallet, check out the Followers to Collectors workshop. You'll map out the full journey of how people discover your art, engage with it, build trust over time, and how you make it easy for them to buy when they're ready.

Learn more at artbizsuccess.com/f2c

RELATED EPISODES

Listen to other artists discuss their income streams:

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

Juggling Multiple Art Styles and Audiences with Robin Maria Pedrero (ep. 103)

Beyond Comparison and Jealousy with Jason Kotecki (ep. 191)

Transform Your Creative Ideas into Multiple Income Streams: Helen Hiebert (ep. 18)

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/