The Art Biz

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 to me about 4 years ago. It’s a book that needed to be written and proves that we have a lot more to talk about this topic. But let’s kick off the conversation. Janice will share her background and the realization that the students in her workshops tended to be in the 60 to 80 age groups. This piqued her curiosity about taking up art later in life. We spend the first half of our conversation talking about how the book came to be. Then we discuss the advantages, benefits and challenges of becoming an artist after age 60. I, of course, want to know about how artists over 60 approach the business of art, but that’s not Janice’s concern. (And I have some experience that perhaps will lead to a different episode.) 🎧 RELATED EPISODESThese are episodes with other artist-authors >> Secrets from Copying a Masterpiece with Lilianne Milgrom (ep. 87) Publishing a How To Book for Artists with Carol McIntyre (ep. 37) How Two Artists Self-Published and Are Promoting a Successful Book Together (ep. 9) Mentioned: How Do You Know You’re an Artist? with James Holmes (ep. 181)   📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/bloom-steeves. ⭐️ Connect with Janice and see more of her art: https://janicemasonsteeves.com   If you want to learn about or improve your art marketing skills, 🔶check out my Essentials program. 🔶 It’s for beginning and emerging artists as well as artists who just need a reboot. artbizsuccess.com/essentials ⛰️ 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/

Explore empowering affirmations and success strategies for artists, including valuing work, setting fair prices, networking effectively, and attracting support. Learn how affirmations can significantly impact success and income, and how commitment and action play crucial roles in achieving artistic goals.

In this engaging conversation, Hallie Edlund, a virtual assistant for artists and daughter of Carolyn Edlund from Artsy Shark, shares her journey into this niche after the 2008 economic downturn. She emphasizes the benefits of hiring virtual assistants to manage social media and websites, while integrating AI tools like ChatGPT. Hallie reveals her impressive organizational system using Gmail and offers practical Instagram tips that can elevate artists' online presence. Her insights on aligning with an artist's unique voice prove invaluable for successful collaborations.

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 art business. To get the most out of it, you have to have a little woo in you. As Jahje says, you might need to put on your tinfoil hat. She’s going to tell you what Human Design is, cover the 5 different types of designs and what each would mean for an artist. Human Design has taught me that there are no two people alike. We are each unique in our gifts and our approach to life and business. What works for one artist might not be just a bad idea for another—it could also be a huge waste of time. Or even damaging. Since learning Human Design, I’ve changed much of my approach to teaching and coaching. I’ve started tuning in to the differences among artists—differences that they were born with—so that I can meet them where they will be able to thrive. This episode probably isn’t for everyone, but if you’re open to the journey, please continue to listen. Maybe something will ring true. Here’s my conversation with Jahje Ives. 🎧 RELATED EPISODES Risk, Rejection, and Resilience with Christine Aaron (ep. 114) What Your Failures Are Teaching You with Laura Petrovich-Cheney (ep. 95) Are You Playing It Too Safe in Your Art Business? (ep. 92) Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Christa Forrest (ep. 91) 📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/human-design-ives ⭐️ Connect with Jahje and see more of her art: https://jahjeives.com   🔶 Sponsored by The Art Biz Accelerator 🔶 a coaching group for strategies, support, and accountability inside a community of artists who get you. https://artbizsuccess.com/accelerator   ⛰️ 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/

The podcast discusses the struggles artists face in pricing their art and the importance of fair pricing. It explores reasons to raise prices including covering costs and addressing uneven pricing. Tips are given on factoring in commission, gradually increasing prices, and seeking input from gallery owners. The podcast also provides criteria for determining when a price increase is necessary and advice on how to handle it. It emphasizes the importance of contacting collectors in advance, building trust, and offers resources for artists seeking to build a viable art business.

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 cover a lot of ground in our conversation, but there are 3 themes: The value of working in series, with special attention given to the series of paintings that came from her pilgrimage on The Camino. Creating a catalog of your art and what it can do for you. Getting a museum solo exhibition and why that’s important to her. We also discuss how Susan lost 14,000 instagram followers and rebuilt her account to where it is today (~46,000 at the time of this recording). See if you can pick up on why it pays to dress nicely when visiting gallery. 🎧 RELATED EPISODES Overcoming Anxiety about Making Art World Connections with Heather Beardsley (ep. 160) Putting Artists First in Curatorial Projects with Melissa Messina (ep. 136) Portrait Project and Museum Exhibition with Lisa Kovvuri (ep. 11) A Married Life in Art: Sam Woolcott and Poe Dismuke (ep. 8) 📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/series-abbott ⭐️ Connect with Susan and see more of her art: https://susanabbott.com 🔶 Sponsored by The Art Biz Accelerator 🔶 a coaching group for strategies, support, and accountability inside a community of artists who get you. https://artbizsuccess.com/accelerator ⛰️ 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/

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” grant. She knows she can’t get there by herself. She needs strong gallery representation and a team of people behind her, and she’ll tell you why. 💬 EVITA TEZENO QUOTES “I had this dream that an angel came to my door and gave me a blueprint of another style.” “This dream was right on target.” “[After Denzel Washington bought 8 pieces in 2019] I was able to get another studio and I have never worked for anyone again.” “The gallery now has me working larger. I love working larger. I love it.” “I consider myself a visual storyteller.” “[My life coach] has gotten me to dream bigger than I ever thought that I could dream.” “I want more museum collections and I want my work also to be known, not only nationally or regionally, but internationally…. So we are reaching toward the sky or the heavens.” “The art career that you dream of or you envision does not come easy. You have to struggle. You have to go through necessary pains to get to where you want to be.” 🎧 RELATED CONTENT Leaving Gallery Representation to Reach More Art Buyers with Adele Sypesteyn (ep. 163) Qualities Galleries Are Looking For in Their Artists with Jeremy Tessmer (ep. 123) Why Artists Should Embrace Galleries (article) The Investing Artist: Art, Real Estate, and Legacy with Mary Erickson (ep. 19) 📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/tezeno-galleries ⭐️ Connect with Evita Tezeno and see more of her art: https://evitatezeno.com   🔶 Does your art business need a boost or a refresh? Please see my new program, ESTABLISH YOURSELF: Essentials for Artist Success 🔶 a training program full of tools and process you need to establish your professionalism and increase your visibility. For those with beginning and emerging art careers.   ⛰️ 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/

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 them? In this episode of The Art Biz, I have a very focused conversation with Jessica Burko about artist websites. [ We’re focused on your professional presentation this season in Establish Yourself: Essentials for Artist Success ] Jessica and I discuss: Her philosophy about artist websites. What artist websites should and should not include. How artist websites can be organized for a better viewer experience. How you can use Instagram and Pinterest to organize portfolios of work. Why one of your jobs is to educate people. She says, “What gets people to be very interested in your work, to buy your work or hire you or show your work, and to really tell them the breadth of what you do and to show them all the different aspects of your arts career, your arts business, yourself as an artist” is your website. It’s a much more appropriate place to do that than Instagram. 💁🏼‍♀️ My bonus tip is to check the footer on your website to see that it has the current copyright date in it. Some websites adjust automatically to a new year, but others do not. Make sure yours is current. 🎧 RELATED EPISODES How to Name Your Art Business (ep. 56) How to Feel Like a Successful Artist (ep. 165) Introduce Yourself Confidently as an Artist (ep. 65) Starting Your Art Career (ep. 173) What Your Failures Are Teaching You with Laura Petrovich-Cheney (ep. 95) 📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/websites-burko ⭐️ Connect with Jessica and see more of her art: https://jessicaburko.com 🔶 Does your art business need a boost or a refresh? Please see my new program, ESTABLISH YOURSELF: Essentials for Artist Success 🔶 a training program full of tools and process you need to establish your professionalism and increase your visibility. For those with beginning and emerging art careers.   ⛰️ 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/

The podcast discusses the importance of commitment and dedication for artists serious about building a career. It covers topics like defining yourself as an artist, embracing the artistic journey, navigating challenges in the art world, and turning art into a successful business. Practical steps include selecting a professional name, setting up a business structure, and managing finances effectively.

My guest for this episode of The Art Biz is Kamal X. Kamal recently released his book, Black Astronaut, which is a collection of photographs he started after the murder of George Floyd. It was, as you recall, the height of Covid and like many, Kamal was hesitant to travel and be in crowds. But, as he said, he knew he had to risk it all because the moment was bigger than him. In our conversation, you’ll hear about how and why Kamal learned photography and how he approaches his subjects on the street. What I enjoyed most about talking with Kamal is his message. Through photography, he learns about himself, and he shares his positivity through his words and deeds. He says, “Remember you are the light and you can create and visualize something bigger for yourself.” And he encourages you to be true to yourself and avoid making art for the algorithms. 🎧 RELATED EPISODES These are great episodes for positive inspiration. 7 Essential Verbs for Artists to Embrace (ep. 170) How to Feel Like a Successful Artist (ep. 165) Following Her Curiosity and Making New Connections After 60 with Jan McCarthy (ep. 158) 📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/kamalx ⭐️ Connect with Kamal X and see more of his art: https://www.instagram.com/iamkamalx/ 🔶 Sponsored by my new program, ESTABLISH YOURSELF: Essentials for Artist Success 🔶 a year-long training program full of tools and process you need to establish your professionalism and increase your visibility. For those with beginning and emerging art careers. https://artbizsuccess.com/essentials ⛰️ 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/