The Art Biz

Spring is here in the Northern Hemisphere and it’s a perfect time to consider the aspects of your life that are weighing you down without contributing to your happiness and success. April is the month for cleaning out in the Art Biz Success community. In this episode, I’m highlighting some of my previous interviews with artists who have discussed cleaning out in one form or another, from removing physical items to cleaning out business ideas and strategies, modes of working, and even the venues where you show and sell your art. If you are ready to deep clean your art business, to release what isn’t serving you and banish all that is getting in the way of your productivity and creativity, then you won’t want to miss the insights and inspiration from these successful artists. Highlights   April is the month to focus on cleaning out your art business. (0:01) Is there one single best way to get organized? Heather Powers says no. (2:23) Tips to help you get started on cleaning out and organizing your spaces. (6:09) Redefining your relationship with things so that you can let go. (10:41) How to prepare your studio for a big move. (14:50) Take control of your business so that it works for you, even if it means emptying out your galleries. (19:16) Control your income by controlling your inventory. (23:29) Connecting with buyers outside of the galleries. (27:02) Releasing old work so you can focus on what is most meaningful. (28:21) Increasing your creativity begins with cleaning out the cobwebs. (34:32)   Mentioned Episode 36 — Reaching the Other 99% for Your Art Business with Adele Sypesteyn Episode 33 — Reinventing Your Art Career with Ali Cavanaugh Episode 23 — Leaving Behind What is Safe with Jan R. Carson Episode 10 — Creative Organizing with Heather K. Powers Episode 49 — A Year of Cleaning Out with Daryl D. Johnson Round Top Antiques Fair The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo Resources   Featured artists, comments, and full transcript Art Career Success System Art Biz Success Community Intro and outro music by Wildermiss  

If you’re an intentional artist, you’re in the right place. In this episode, I'm wrapping up a month of talking about how systems can keep you organized and make you a more productive artist. Today’s solo episode focuses on the secret weapon of a successful art business — your art biz handbook. An art biz handbook is the number one way to organize every aspect of your business. If you’re looking for ways to stay on top of the never-ending tasks that every artist faces, this episode is for you. You’ll hear the step-by-step process that will keep you in control of every aspect of your schedule, how I have evolved systems that weren’t working for me, and the satisfaction, productivity, and control that you can come to expect from an art biz handbook that is working for you. Highlights An overview of the value of a high-quality, clearly defined art business system. (0:01) Documenting your systems — why you need an art biz handbook. (2:07) Your system doesn’t have to be perfect to be effective. (4:56) Steps that will make your systems more reliable. (6:12) Practical examples of systems that have simplified processes in my art business. (9:01) How to prioritize the process of capturing your procedures. (10:11) Why your art biz handbook will never be finished. (12:35) Mentioned Episode 68 — Procedures for Art Commissions with Sema Martin Episode 78 — How to Increase Your Productivity and Creativity with Art Business Systems Episode 79 — Tools to Shape Up Your Art Business with Jennifer Printz Episode 80 — Systems to Effectively Managed a Dizzying Increase in Your Art Business with Betty Franks Resources Featured artists, comments, and full transcript Art Career Success System Art Biz Success Community Intro and outro music by Wildermiss First posted: https://artbizsuccess.com/art-biz-procedures-podcast Let’s do this together: https://artbizsuccess.com/community Music by https://wildermiss.com

Betty Franks loves her business and life as an artist. She just might have found the secret sauce — a healthy combination of passion for the work and a continuing curiosity about business and becoming a better CEO of your art business. Betty's art business has exploded over the last four years — by 440%. You can't have and sustain this kind of business growth if you don't have solid systems in place. At the time of this recording, Betty has over 120,000 Instagram followers and sells paintings almost as fast as she makes them. In this episode, we discuss the digital and analog systems that she depends on to support her growth. She generously shares her real numbers, the new postage system she just started using, her daily and weekly routines, and how she organizes all of the digital images of her paintings. Highlights Betty Franks shares the moment she fell in love with mixed media and decided to start her art career. (2:20) How to find your own style and way of making art. (7:20) Staying organized through the process of handling a personal and business name change. (12:25) Betty shares her business goals that resulted in a 400% increase in sales. (18:20) A breakdown of Betty’s income streams and marketing tools. (21:03) How to know when it’s time to hire help for your art business. (28:13) Developing routines that stabilize your creative and practical routines. (31:10) Simple systems to help manage your inventory. (35:25) Building an email list that works for your business. (42:55) How to know when it’s time to make process changes for the better. (47:37) A look at what is keeping Betty’s attention in the studio. (52:24)   Mentioned Betty Franks Art Betty Franks on Instagram JCO’s Art Haus PirateShip.com   Resources Full show notes including photos and listener comments How to Price Your Art Art Career Success System Art Biz Success Community Intro and outro music by Wildermiss   About My Guest Betty Franks was born in Toronto, Canada and raised in San Jose, California. She is a self-taught abstract artist who started painting when she turned 50. Although it seems late in life to take up painting, the timing was just right for her. After a long career in customer service management, Franks was ready to unleash her creative side. Today her work focuses on her love of fields of flowers and flowers in general. She aims to share the emotion she feels about her subject. First posted: https://artbizsuccess.com/managing-growth-franks-podcast Let’s do this together: https://artbizsuccess.com/community Music by https://wildermiss.com

As much as every artist would love to focus only on the making, there is an equally important and opposite side of the artist brain that needs to be accessed — the organization side. It takes creativity and organization to successfully run an art business, and my guest today has learned how to embrace both. Not only is Jennifer Printz a practicing artist with an enviable record of exhibitions, but she's also an assistant professor at Florida International University in Miami. She has two full-time jobs. I've watched Jennifer whip her business into shape by getting organized and creating reliable systems. In this episode, I talk with her about how she compartmentalizes her two jobs. We also discuss the planning process she uses, the digital and paper tools she relies on to stay organized, and why writing by hand is critical for her and her students. Highlights Jennifer Printz reflects on the wide variety of her artwork and her work as a professor. (2:02) The importance of modeling art for Jennifer’s students and the lessons they are learning as a result. (5:53) Practical tips for separating your day job from your art business. (8:40) The value of taking time for an artist’s day, connecting with artists virtually, and creating physical space for your creativity. (11:33) Taking your art business beyond the plateau to the next level with coaching and positive feedback. (16:50) Planning out a quarter at a time to free up your mental space for creativity. (22:30) Day-to-day systems that will help you get and stay organized and productive. (27:21) Jennifer’s process around keeping an updated inventory of her pieces. (33:42) Strategic organization of all the moving parts of an exhibition. (38:29) Playing into your personality strengths to maximize your art business systems. (42:35) What is the first step to take when your systems are breaking down? (45:04) A look inside the works that are currently holding Jennifer’s studio attention. (47:12) Mentioned Michael Hyatt’s Full Focus Planner Cynthia Morris Artwork Archive Chana Orloff IS Projects in Fort Lauderdale JenniferPrintz Jennifer Printz on Instagram Resources Full show notes including photos and listener comments How to Price Your Art Art Career Success System Art Biz Success Community Intro and outro music by Wildermiss Quotes “When I hit a certain level of success I felt the need to get a more objective viewpoint to help me move to a new level of success.” — Jennifer Printz “If we’re always doing what we’ve always done and the results are what we always got, then it’s time to reevaluate.” — Jennifer Printz “It made sense to shift to a new system so I could put more effort into my creative practice.” — Jennifer Printz “In order to build strong relationships, in order to have a successful exhibition, I need to access other parts of me and not let the part of me that’s against organization get in the way.” — Jennifer Printz   About My Guest Jennifer Printz unifies photography and drawing to make poetic works that reflect the unseen structures of the universe. In 2004 she was awarded a Puffin Foundation Grant, followed by a Dendo Fellowship in 2016. She has participated in regular residencies in the US, at the Frans Masereel Centre/Flemish Center for the Graphic Arts in Kasterlee, Belgium, St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta, and La Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France. Jennifer is also an educator, teaching a wide range of two-dimensional media at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as courses on public art and professional practices. Currently, she is on the faculty of Florida International University in Miami. First posted: https://artbizsuccess.com/biz-tools-printz-podcast Let’s do this together: https://artbizsuccess.com/community Music by https://wildermiss.com

If you’ve been listening to this podcast for any amount of time, you know that I am the queen of systems. There is a reason that my signature program is the Art Career Success SYSTEM. I have learned that when you take the time to put in place easily repeatable steps to do a certain task or implement a project, the rewards are endless. You free your mind and calendar for the more creative pursuits of the studio. You have a better-organized business and life. Your consistency increases, as does the trust that others have in you. Creating a streamlined art business system isn’t hard, it just takes dedicated time. In this solo episode, I want to help you get started. I’m sharing three powerful benefits to implementing solid systems into your art business and five questions that you need to ask yourself when creating that better system. And to help you see that systems work, I’ll tell you about a few artists who have created systems that work. It worked for them, and I can promise the time you spend on your systems will be worth it as your creativity and productivity in your art business continue to increase. Highlights The why behind effective art business systems. (0:01) Understanding the ecosystem and metasystems within your art business. (2:10) Three clear benefits of installing systems in your art business. (3:35) Five questions to ask yourself when implementing a new system. (5:50) How to clearly define what you want to see happen. (6:38) Clear timelines create clear results (7:01) What tools and technology do you need to acquire to create your system? (7:26) Who can assist you in meeting your goals? (8:13) What are the exact steps needed to make your system hum? (8:34) Upcoming podcast guest artists who have successfully implemented systems into their art business. (9:11) A homework assignment to get you started with your new system. (9:51) All that the Art Career Success System can offer your art business. (10:58) Mentioned Episode #68 with Sema Martin Art Career Success System My Instagram @alysonstanfield Resources Complete transcript featured artists and listener comments Art Career Success System Art Biz Success Community Intro and outro music by Wildermiss   First posted: artbizsuccess.com/organize-with-systems-podcast Let’s do this together: https://artbizsuccess.com/community Music by https://wildermiss.com

In this enlightening discussion, Trudy Rice, an Australian artist known for her stunning flora and fauna art, reveals her innovative strategies for growing her audience. Trudy shares how cross-promotion through 'shouting out' other brands has transformed her Instagram and email lists. She emphasizes the power of community engagement and the use of platforms like Ampjar. Trudy also discusses her transition into homewares, diversification of income streams, and creative resilience shaped by the pandemic, offering valuable insights for artists seeking growth.

I live to track down art off the beaten path — traveling to out-of-the-way places to see works of art that delight and inspire, or even confound me. I found just such a piece last year when I traveled to the Midwest, and the success story of the artist behind the art is just as engaging as the piece itself. My guest for this episode is Romy Owens, an artist and curator who makes site-specific installations, as well as smaller objects, in reaction to place, community, and transformation. Last fall I had the opportunity to visit Under Her Wing was The Universe, her enormous public sculpture that was installed in 2020 in Enid, Oklahoma. In this episode I talk with Romy about her commitment to raising $100,000 for that outdoor public sculpture and native prairie landscape as a gift to her hometown. As it turns out, $100,000 was just the beginning, and while it all worked out in the end, it wasn’t exactly easy getting there. Not only did Romy have to raise a lot more money than originally projected, she had to stand up to the naysayers in the community. Romy is an artist that knows how to effectively measure success. Community collaboration, fundraising, overcoming controversy and yes, using spreadsheets are just a few of the topics that you won’t want to miss in this conversation.   Highlights Romy Owens shares the leap of faith she has taken with her art and with her community. (3:30) Conceiving the project Under Her Wing was the Universe. (9:55) Relationships that informed the piece and Alyson’s reaction to seeing it in person. (12:10) Naming the piece and finding value in all that is revealed in the universe. (16:06) Securing space for the project and making the connections that brought city approval. (20:04) Funding from the city and how Romy planned to cover the rest. (23:50) Launching a GoFundMe fundraiser. (26:40) Meeting tight deadlines and overcoming obstacles along the way. (28:26) Overcome your fear of hearing “no” when raising funds. (30:33) Handling the controversy that comes with creating interesting art. (33:02) Key collaborators and supporters in creating a piece of this scale. (36:27) Keeping track of your progress with a system that actually works. (41:09) Measuring success and setting goals in specific and meaningful ways. (43:24) Ideas for generating interest in your art. (49:32)   Mentioned Romy Owens Under Her Wing Was the Universe The Pursuit of Art by Martin Gayford City of Enid, Oklahoma   Resources Full show notes including photos and listener comments How to Price Your Art Art Career Success System Art Biz Success Community Intro and outro music by Wildermiss   About My Guest Romy Owens is an artist and curator living in Enid, Oklahoma. She makes site-specific installations, as well as smaller objects, in reaction to place, community, and transformation. Her curatorial work attends to a similar focus. Both Owens' artistic and curatorial practices are presently centered around community art designed to impact social change, using art as a method to broaden our understanding of specific issues.

What is something special you can do for your subscribers and collectors when your shows and large events are canceled because of a pandemic? Give them a private viewing experience, of course. This week, my guest is Simonne Roy, a contemporary American impressionist painter grounded in the plein air painting tradition. For years, Simonne has been inviting VIPs into her home, which she had transformed into a gallery, for a one-night party. The money and effort she invested in the event resulted in good sales and relationships. Each year's success built on that of previous years. When Covid struck, her hopes for a successful home gallery show in 2020 were dashed, until, like many scrappy entrepreneurs, Simonne found a different way to make it happen. She decided to hold the VIP appreciation without the party. In this episode, you'll hear how Simonne gave people a private experience that few people get to have with art, which she calls the Quiet Gallery Experience. If she measured its success by the amount of sales only, she could have counted it a success. But sales were almost secondary because Simonne measures her success by the goodwill she created with her subscribers and collectors. Listen closely to hear what she did to set the stage and make it special, what she would do differently next time, and how she netted the same amount of money from the participation of fewer people. Highlights   Simonne Roy shares the journey that led to her art business and her current income sources. (2:28) Transforming a house into an intimate, personalized home gallery. (7:10) The inspiration that saved Simonne’s gallery experience during Covid. (13:42) How can greater vulnerability result in more meaningful connections? (20:05) Scheduling a full day of showings and Simonne’s goal for each visitor. (21:51) Preparing any space for a full gallery experience. (25:22) Results from the gallery included sales, a teaching offer and increased connections. (29:29) Reducing overhead for an event can still result in positive net sales. (34:10) Marketing an event and creating a thoughtful gift for your customers. (36:14) Simonne shares the lessons she learned for next time. (38:11) A peek at what is holding Simonne’s attention in the studio now. (38:34)   Mentioned Simonne Roy Simonne Roy on Instagram Marcher jusqu'au soir by Lydie Salvayre   Resources Photos and full show notes Art Career Success System Art Biz Success Community Intro and outro music by Wildermiss   About My Guest Simonne Roy describes herself as a contemporary American impressionist painter grounded in the plein air landscape painting tradition. She is also a Francophile, and has lived in France for extended periods over the years—adding quintessential French subjects such as pastries, breads, and cheeses to her nature-inspired paintings. A lifelong resident of Pennsylvania, Roy lives in Lewisburg, where she maintains her studio and home gallery.

Discover how to define and measure success in your art business beyond mere numbers. Learn the importance of confronting financial figures to catalyze personal and professional growth. Get tips on what to include in your monthly reports, such as tracking connections and different promotional strategies. Uncover valuable insights from your data to enhance your art journey and redefine fulfillment. This journey emphasizes authenticity and the impact of community engagement on your success.

We all seek success (whatever it means to us individually) but aren’t always prepared to deal with it when it comes along. And that’s okay, because as you’ll hear in this episode, you will learn how to deal with unexpected success if it’s something you really want. My guest is Lisa Goren, an artist whose work took a surprise U-turn when the pandemic hit last year, and she went for it. Lisa Goren works in watercolor to show an unfamiliar landscape in a new light. By using vibrant colors and taking risks with different surfaces, she makes the viewer reevaluate their understanding of both the landscapes and their beliefs in the potential of the medium. Her works create questions about the nature of abstraction and our planet as many of her pieces are representations of unfamiliar, threatened terrains. More recently, Lisa has begun painting animals who had started showing up in unusual places during the pandemic. ​In our conversation, Lisa shares the artist residencies and serious work reflecting climate change that she was making before Covid hit. But when she was no longer able to travel to photograph and paint the wildlife and melting ice around Antarctica she turned her attention to the delightful animals that were visiting museums, aquariums and towns. Lisa shares her success dilemman: the new work was taking off and taking over. Her new journey is to regain control over where the work is headed while being open to whatever the future holds. Highlights Lisa Goren details the path — and thick skin — that led to her successful art business. (2:25) Painting ice, bones, and deep blue colors in Antarctica, Alaska, and Iceland. (6:04) The importance of creating artist support groups in your art business journey. (9:07) Lisa reflects on the plans she had for 2020, how the pandemic changed it all, and the pivoting point that led to a new success. (12:17) Inspiration can come from anywhere, including free roaming penguins in museums. (17:47) Creating and pricing high-demand art that you didn’t intend to sell. (19:45) Responding to a call for art during the pandemic created additional interest in Lisa’s work from The Washington Post. (22:16) Handling the “problem” of success and why you might consider selling low-priced originals instead of prints. (26:45) Making connections with buyers and offering hope through art. (31:24) How to adjust your pricing to better control your schedule. (33:33) Lisa details the assignment that led to her return to painting penguins. (34:41) Transitioning from the artist you may be known as to the artist that you currently are. (36:54) Lisa details her marketing channels, how she connects with the photographers that inspire her work, and whether she replaced her lost income in 2020. (40:31) If the pandemic ended tomorrow, would Lisa continue painting animals? (45:24) Mentioned Lisa Goren Paintings Washington Post article Shedd Aquarium Expeditionary Art (Maria Coryell-Martin) Resources Photos and full show notes Art Career Success System Art Biz Success Community Art Biz Success Planning Sessions Intro and outro music by Wildermiss   About My Guest Lisa Goren was born in California and raised in NYC, and yet she has dreamed of Polar landscapes since she was in her teens. Her first trip took her to Antarctica where she was inspired and captivated by the landscape. Her watercolors show an unfamiliar landscape in a new light. By using vibrant colors and taking risks with different surfaces, she makes the viewer reevaluate their understanding of both these landscapes and their beliefs in the potential of the medium.