The Art Biz

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 itself — and has its roots in her decision to be a copyist at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, copying Courbet's scandalous painting, L'Origine du Monde (The Origin of the World). She learned valuable lessons, exercised her courage muscle, and became a better artist as a result. The experience led to the writing of the book that so engrossed me. Lilianne and I talk about all of that and how she juggles her art and writing. She also shares tips for pitching to podcasts, which are equally valuable for other media pitches. Highlights Lilianne shares the timeline of her artist journey. (3:22) The difference between a consistent studio practice and making consistent work. (5:56) The premise and genesis of Lilianne's book L'Origine. (9:15) A full list of Lilianne's reasons not to become a copyist of this scandalous painting. (13:08) The fascinating rules for being a copyist at the Musée d'Orsay. (16:36) Overcoming the most uncomfortable aspects of this endeavor, including the unsolicited comments from museum visitors. (20:21) Main differences between male and female reactions to the painting. (25:43) The inspiration that comes from writing about your painting. (26:55) Turning a once-in-a-lifetime artist experience — and the painting that provided it — into a novel. (29:40) What makes a piece of art timeless and relevant? (35:13) If this artwork is shocking today, imagine how it was received in the 1800s. (40:20) Lilianne explains why her copy of L'Origine du Monde is not currently on display. (42:12) Lessons learned from interacting with such famous and controversial artwork. (43:38) What does Lilianne's studio practice look like now? (46:43) The secret to pitching your idea in a way that gets results. (48:10) Mentioned Lilianne Milgrom Musée d'Orsay L'Origine du Monde, the painting Find out more about the book and where to order a copy at Little French Girl Press Resources Full show notes including photos and listener comments MagneticYouArtist.com Art Career Success System Art Biz Success Planning Sessions Art Biz Success Community Intro and outro music by Wildermiss Quotes "Writing is like painting with words." — Lilianne Milgrom "This painting gave me the sense of empowerment, which at the beginning felt like an embarrassment, and it turned out to be this enormous feeling of liberation and empowerment." — Lilianne Milgrom "This certainly changed my life. As far as my art, it's made me fairly fearless." — Lilianne Milgrom "The written word and art, they can't be separated because you're going to need to express yourself." — Lilianne Milgrom About My Guest Lilianne Milgrom was born in Paris, grew up in Australia, and currently resides in the United States. Milgrom holds two degrees from Melbourne University and an associate art degree from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. She exhibits her artwork around the world and is the recipient of multiple awards. In 2011, she became the first authorized copyist of Gustave Courbet's controversial painting L'Origine du Monde (The Origin of the World), which hangs in the Orsay Museum in Paris and draws over a million visitors a year. After rendering a near-identical copy of Courbet's masterpiece, she spent close to a decade researching and writing L'Origine.

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 deepened since that time, and in this interview you'll find out what makes their combined efforts work so well. Rebecca, Jerry, and I discuss the format of Cold Wax Academy, how they make decisions together, how they find new members, and what they would do differently with the benefit of hindsight. We also talk about one of my very favorite topics—systems—and the technology they use to keep their joint venture going. Highlights Rebecca and Jerry reflect on the timeline of their collaboration. (2:37) Rebranding your business with the help of professionals. (6:18) Making the transition from live teaching to the online Cold Wax Academy. (11:04) Replacing income lost from cancelled live workshops. (12:37) The pandemic-induced "oh crap" moment that changed everything. (17:03) How to know when it's time to hire help. (20:19) Collaborating with another person in every important aspect of your business. (24:08) Tools that maximize your communication efforts. (26:53) A high level overview of the offerings of Cold Wax Academy. (29:00) The key to making a paid membership work. (33:57) How to determine what content to offer for free and what to charge for. (37:58) Adjusting your offerings starts with knowing what your audience wants. (38:47) A look at the numbers of the Cold Wax Academy community. (43:37) Lessons learned from the timing and building of a business. (45:34) What's coming up next for Cold Wax Academy. (49:42) Mentioned Cold Wax Academy Rebecca Crowell Jerry McLaughlin Art Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations by Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin Episode #9: How Two Artists Self-Published and Are Promoting a Successful Book Together Resources Full show notes including photos and listener comments Art Career Success System Art Biz Success Planning Sessions Art Biz Success Community Intro and outro music by Wildermiss First posted: artbizsuccess.com/collaborating-coldwax-podcast Let's do this together: https://artbizsuccess.com/community Music by https://wildermiss.com Quotes "We have this great collaboration and I couldn't have known ahead of time how exciting it would be to develop this program." — Rebecca Crowell "Hiring a third person has given us more energy to devote to the business itself." — Jerry McLaughlin "What we produce is infinitely better because we're both doing it together." — Jerry McLaughlin "As we go we're learning more and more about how to interact with people and how to involve members." — Rebecca Crowell About My Guests Rebecca Crowell has been a professional artist for thirty years and is widely known for her innovative painting techniques involving cold wax medium and oils. She teaches these methods both in the US and internationally. Her work is handled by fine art galleries in Chicago, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Telluride, and Dublin, Ireland and is found in hundreds of private, public, and corporate collections. Rebecca holds an MFA in Painting and lives in rural west-central Wisconsin. Jerry McLaughlin has been a working visual artist for twenty years and has exhibited at galleries throughout the U.S. His work is in collections around the world. An expert in all things cold wax, he focuses his major energies on painting, teaching, and writing. Trained as a pediatric intensive care physician, he also holds a certificate in adult education from the University of Washington. Jerry lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

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 deciding to go back to graduate school in 2017 to earn her MFA. With such great commercial success it seemed like an unusual time to return to grad school, but now that she has been out of school for over a year, Kelly is ready to talk about her decision to take that big step and what she learned in the process. Join our conversation as we talk about the ins and outs of juggling two very different art businesses, what her daily practice is like, and where her work is headed. Highlights Kelly M. O'Brien shares her art path and the works that have gone viral. (1:49) Finding more meaning and depth in your art. (5:47) Changing the focus of her work resulted in Kelly creating two different practices. (8:08) Finding the right time and the right approach to return to graduate school. (11:51) The value of intentional planning sessions to help you grow as an artist. (17:15) The biggest benefits of returning to school. (20:02) How to determine if an MFA is right for your career. (23:45) Balancing money-making ventures with your education. (24:49) How to respond to the stigma surrounding serious artists who work to make money. (26:27) Changes in Kelly's practice as a result of earning her MFA. (28:32) A look inside Kelly's approach to her daily practice in the studio. (31:04) Learning a visual vocabulary that will shape the statement of your work. (34:47) Kelly shares an overview of what is holding her attention in her studio. (38:18) Mentioned Artist Support Pledge Arts Council England Chuck Close Kelly M. O'Brien's PaperJoy Studio Kelly M. O'Brien's emerging work Resources Full show notes including photos and listener comments Art Career Success System Art Biz Success Planning Sessions Art Biz Success Community Intro and outro music by Wildermiss About My Guest Kelly M. O'Brien is an American mixed-media sculptor who lives and works near Bristol, England. She completed a Master of Fine Art (Distinction) at Bath Spa University in 2019. Kelly is co-founder of A Gathering of Unasked Possibility, a collaborative project fostering active hope through creative practitioners, and runs PaperJoy Studio, offering bespoke paper art originals and hand-embellished prints for hospitality and important residential projects. First posted: https://artbizsuccess.com/mfa-obrien-podcast Let's do this together: https://artbizsuccess.com/community Music by https://wildermiss.com

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 streams multiply. She unlocked the secrets to a more abundant money mindset. In our conversation Lea and I talked about what she eliminated in 2020 that allowed her to dive deeper into her creativity and step into her art business more fully. We discuss the book she wrote, how she structures her days as a mom with a 6-year-old who has to show up for the virtual classroom, and how she quickly replaced the income from an outside source she had been holding onto out of fear. Highlights Lea K. Tawd shares her journey in art, motherhood, and self-care. (1:57) Getting back on track when you're feeling off-centered. (6:02) Lea recounts the various income streams of her pre-pandemic artwork. (11:10) What happens when you stop doing the work that you are afraid to let go of? (14:40) How to clean out old obligations in order to turn your ideas into an income stream. (17:44) Creating spaces, rituals and schedules that will increase your energy. (21:19) Lea shares the ways that increasing her focus has also increased her income. (23:50) Advice for letting go of an income stream that you don't love. (27:58) How to overcome a big, scary thing so that you can do the work you want to do most. (29:26) Cultivating the relationships that will support you through the hardest times. (33:17) Lea shares what is currently holding her attention in the studio. (34:27) Mentioned Leak Arts Lea on Instagram Lea's Reiki practice Printful Creativity Unstuck: A Toolbox for Making More Art by Lea K. Tawd Lea's Moon Phase Calendar Resources Full show notes including photos and listener comments Art Career Success System Art Biz Success Planning Sessions Art Biz Success Community Intro and outro music by Wildermiss About My Guest Lea K. Tawd is an author, mixed media artist and Reiki master teacher. She seeks out the beauty in every woman and uses that vision to create mixed media art that inspires and heals. The finished pieces are a Utopian vision of inner beauty manifested that serve as a reminder to take care of yourself, to find moments of peace, kindness, and self-love. Lea often paints directly on wood, so the wood grains help to inform the finished piece. As a Reiki Master Lea uses Reiki in the creation of her art and combines the two to help others find deep inner healing and recover their creativity in private sessions, workshops, and retreats. First posted: https://artbizsuccess.com/money-breakthrough-tawd-podcast Let's do this together: https://artbizsuccess.com/community Music by https://wildermiss.com

This month we're focusing on the benefits of cleaning out — from physical clutter to organizing your lives, eliminating obligations that are no longer serving you to slowing down enough to focus on what matters most, in your art business and in your life. Kelly Milukas has been through more in the last 10 years than anyone should have to endure, and yet she never lost hope and determination. Kelly and I scheduled our conversation to discuss her "life edit," which involved getting rid of what no longer served her. It quickly became apparent that ridding herself of stuff when she had to downsize her studio is something she had been preparing herself for in the many years leading up to that moment. This conversation is about coming out on the other side of a long struggle stronger than you were previously. Join us as we celebrate the triumph of one artist's positive spirit, discover the tools she used to facilitate the process, and hear about the people she relied on along the way. Highlights Kelly Milukas reflects on her journey from athletics to music and to art. (1:57) Kelly works with scientists and starts researching stem cells for a commission for a biopharmaceutical company. (8:30) A shift in health can create a shift in focus for any artist. (12:15) Embracing the tools that are available to you can help you get through anything. (16:52) Forging through the messy middle to come out stronger on the other side. (21:26) Can 17 seconds or a deeper breath change your mindset? (25:23) How to know when to power through and when to pull back. (28:55) The power of giving yourself permission to feel your biggest emotions. (32:48) Cleaning out physical objects to move your art business forward. (34:50) Creating an organized studio that works for you on any budget. (41:10) A look inside all that is keeping Kelly busy in her new studio. (45:00) Mentioned Kelly Milukas on Instagram Sheng Zhen with Master Li (free virtual meditations every Wednesday) Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine "Keys to Cures" installation at Intarcia Therapeutics Albert Clayton Gaulden's Sedona Intensive Libby Caldwell, Artist, Therapeutic/artistic journaling Resources Full show notes including photos and listener comments How to Price Your Art Art Career Success System Art Biz Success Planning Sessions Art Biz Success Community Intro and outro music by Wildermiss First posted: https://artbizsuccess.com/stronger-milukas-podcast Let's do this together: https://artbizsuccess.com/community Music by https://wildermiss.com

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