The Art Biz

In this episode I talk with David Sandum who was driven to take up art personally and then professionally after being hospitalized with depression in 2001. His journey through depression led him to the works of Vincent Van Gogh and Edvard Munch—finding solace and a deep connection with their expression of raw emotions. We discuss how art continues to be a lifeline in his struggle with depression and his memoir, I’ll Run Till the Sun Goes Down: A Memoir About Depression & Discovering Art. David and I touch on the tension between making art for yourself and surviving in a commercial market, and, related, why he chose to focus on a series of Auschwitz paintings over seemingly more market-friendly paintings of beaches. We also talk about how he organized a community of artists on what was then Twitter to begin an annual international exhibition and fundraiser that has been going on since 2010. The Twitter Art Exhibit has evolved into the Postcard Art Exhibit, which accurately reflects its contents. Heads up that you’ll hear David abbreviate it repeatedly—and understandably—as PAE. 🎧 RELATED EPISODES The Art Biz ep. 168: Impacting Artists First in a Curatorial Project Focusing on Empathy with Nanci Hersh The Art Biz ep. 112: Leaning Into Creativity in Times of Pain with Rich Simmons The Art Biz ep. 52: Making Art While Grieving Loss with Jan Heaton 📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/sandum-mental-health ⭐️ Connect with David and see more of his art: https://www.davidsandum.com 🔶 Sponsored by my new program, ESTABLISH YOURSELF: Essentials for Artist Success 🔶 a coaching group for strategies, support, and accountability inside a community of artists who get you. 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/

In this episode of The Art Biz I talk with Nanci Hersh about an exhibition she organized with 25 artists from multiple states and countries. The show used the central theme of tears to explore empathy, compassion, and understanding within a sacred space—a metaphorical chapel. She says, as artists “we are so fortunate that we can use our art to make sense of life experiences.” Nanci and I discuss: The ripple effect of art when it impacts the artist first. The training she received to facilitate uncomfortable conversations. The benefits of taking on such a big project and why it’s important that it aligned with her values. How the exhibition was paid for and ideas she has for improving funding options in the future. How she stayed organized. The importance of clear lines of communication, accepting help, and practicing gratitude.   ⭐️ ABOUT NANCI HERSH Nanci Hersh is a contemporary artist whose work is informed by the experiences, relationships, and places in her life. Her two-dimensional work, as well as her sculptures and installations, are at the intersection of personal narrative, art-making, and community engagement—exploring the grace, beauty and fragility of our lives. Nanci is also a curator, illustrator, educator, arts advocate, and former Executive Director of the Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education. She has one foot in Pennsylvania and the other in Delaware. 🎧 RELATED EPISODES The Art Biz ep. 160: Overcoming Anxiety about Making Art World Connections with Heather Beardsley The Art Biz ep. 146: Remember The Many Opportunities We Have Because We’re Online with Barbara Muir The Art Biz ep. 30: Multi-State Multi-Year Multi-Artist Art Project with Marilyn Artus The Art Biz ep. 64: Knit Democracy Together with Eve Jacobs-Carnahan   📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/empathy-hersh   🔶 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/

This podcast episode discusses the mindset and process behind having a sale of artwork. It covers different strategies for promoting and selling art, including discounts and bonuses. Tips for a successful art sale are provided, such as keeping it simple and sticking to a schedule. Opportunities for training in email marketing strategies and support from the ArtBiz Accelerator Coaching Group are also mentioned.

In this episode, Bri Larson and I talk about her decision to raise her prices and how she overcame the mindset that her art needed to be affordable. We also discuss: The value of her artist community—how they have supported her growth as an artist and her journey into motherhood. How she has been able to maintain a studio practice with a baby, including how she structures her days around the baby’s schedule. What kind of work she would give to a studio assistant and how she’ll know when to hire. The decision to focus on organic reach v. paid advertising online. Bri’s #1 piece of advice for would-be artist-parents.   🎧 RELATED EPISODES Juggling parenthood also came up in these episodes: The Art Biz ep. 162: She Knows Exactly How Much Her Art Income Will be Every Month with Kelly Pelfrey The Art Biz ep. 84: Money Mindset Breakthrough Secrets with Lea K. Tawd The Art Biz ep. 131: Injecting Personal Narrative into Your Art with Sara Lee Hughes   📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/larson-raising-prices ⭐️ Connect with Bri and see more of her art: https://brilarson.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/

There’s no neat way to explain what success is because it’s different for every artist. I hope this episode is the start of an ongoing conversation on the subject. 💡HIGHLIGHTS Success for artists might include income (sales), exhibitions, leadership roles, achievements, collections, and studio production. A few of the diverse stories of success from artist-guests of The Art Biz. The importance of aligning the goals for your art and expectations of yourself with how you want your life to be. Success requires you to be nimble—to adapt to changing circumstances and be open to risks and failures. My best advice: Success doesn’t happen all at once. It’s the result of small wins, each of which must be acknowledged in order to stay motivated and focused on your vision. 📖 To read the complete transcript, see featured artists, and comment about the topic of success, visit artbizsuccess.com/feel-successful   🔶 Sponsored by The Art Biz Accelerator 🔶 a coaching group to support you as you follow your vision and take successful steps along the way. https://artbizsuccess.com/accelerator 🔶 Sponsored by the Create Opportunities Challenge 🔶 a 3-month program this fall to help you find and improve venues for showing, selling, and/or teaching art. It’s about being intentional rather than waiting for an email in your inbox. Find out more and see if it’s for you https://artbizsuccess.com/opportunities   🎧 MENTIONED EPISODES 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) Increasing Self-Sales by 400% with Sarah Becktel (ep. 157) Play Tops Work, Connection Tops Solitude, and Confidence Tops Fear with Willie Cole (ep 126) Expanding Your Skillset to Respond to Opportunities with Detour (ep. 128) Guaranteeing an Effective Project with Eve Jacobs-Carnahan (ep. 121)   ⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.   ~ ~ ! ATTENTION INDIGENOUS ARTISTS and BIPOC ARTISTS ! ~ ~ This is a special 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/

Sally Hirst was born to teach. Fortunately, she was also born an artist. Like most of us, she adapted to the new reality that she was faced with at the beginning of the pandemic. Well, actually, she did more than adapt. She thrived. She took the challenge head on and has been thriving ever since. Sally and I discuss what her income sources looked like before Covid and look like now. Specifically, we talk about her teaching: The teaching platform she uses and why she chose it The skills she had to acquire in order to teach online Her video recording setup What her teaching schedule looks like in terms of what is pre-recorded and what is live. How she attracts new students. Sally reveals how Brexit has impacted her goals—especially where she shows and sells her art. And I wondered: How does Sally manage to maintain her studio practice with her busy teaching schedule? 📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit artbizsuccess.com/hirst-teaching ⭐️ Connect with Sally, see more of her art, and find out about her art courses: sallyhirst.co.uk ✴️ NOW AVAILABLE: THE MONEY PLAN You do have some control (plenty, actually) over how much money you earn, and it starts with getting real about your current situation and the vision. you have. The Money Plan is my success workshop for accelerating your income and it’s now available on demand. In it, I lead you through a series of steps where you identify your income sources and set goals for how you will earn more from them. You’ll be able to clearly see which are worth your time and attention. The Money Plan gives you a realistic, though hopeful and challenging, blueprint for increasing your income in the future. It’s a plan that only you could make with a tool that you will be able to reuse at every point in your art business. Learn more and enroll now at artbizsuccess.com/moneyplan 🎧 RELATED EPISODES and POSTS My Money Odyssey (ep. 161) How Do Artists Make Money (ep. 159) Creating a Monthly Report for Your Art Business (ep. 74) ⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

Adele Sypesteyn, an artist with four decades of experience selling her art, shares her journey transitioning from galleries to a strategic approach. She discusses targeting interior designers, teaching art to children online, testing the market, starting a successful YouTube channel, and shifting income streams.

Kelly Pelfrey shares how she exceeded her goal of replacing her teaching salary by quadrupling her income. She discusses her income sources, including commissions and small painting releases. The podcast also explores various income streams for artists, such as print sales and selling art for TV screens. The hosts emphasize the importance of finding a method that aligns with one's own schedule and preferences for releasing and promoting artwork. They also provide advice for artists interested in starting commissions.

In this episode, Allison Stanfield discusses her money odyssey from childhood experiences to building a successful art business. She shares stories about asking for money as a little girl, gaming the system for cash, and starting her own business with little money. She also talks about her income accelerator process for artists and the challenges she faced, including the decline in the art market after 9-11. The podcast covers topics such as childhood experiences with money, lack of retirement preparation, starting an art consulting business, and the importance of work ethic and adapting to change in running a small business.

Heather Beardsley’s art has been influenced by extensive travel and residencies in diverse cultures. This started with her year in Vienna as a Fulbright Scholar and then continued for several years until the pandemic shut down her residency in Kyiv, Ukraine. Like everyone else, Heather had to pivot upon returning to the U.S. She used the downtime to her advantage by getting organized and shaping her career path. In our conversation in this episode of The Art Biz, you’ll hear how she managed to transform her social anxiety into opportunities—realizing that real growth could only happen when she overcame the urge to play it safe by sticking to open call entries. Heather has learned to navigate the complex art world with intention while connecting with institutions and curators to propel her career. She shares her experiences of the following: Securing exhibition fees, grants, and residencies while managing expectations. The importance of being organized and ready for opportunities. Using Microsoft OneNote to organize opportunities and deadlines. Building authentic relationships within the art world where so much can seem transactional. You’ll also hear about Heather’s current solo show at the Chrysler Museum of Art and how it came about. 📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit artbizsuccess.com/beardsley-artworld-connections ⭐️ Connect with Heather and see more of her art: https://heatherbeardsley.com ✴️ COMING UP: THE MONEY PLAN If you aren’t clear about where your money is coming from, I strongly encourage you to figure it out. It’s only with that clarity that you can plan properly for the future. I can help with that. Soon after the release of this episode I’ll be leading The Money Plan artist success workshop. Seating at the live sessions of the workshop—where you can ask questions and interact with other artist-planners—will be limited, and there will also be a replay available. But if you want to attend live, you need to get on the interest list. You can hit pause right now and go to artbizsuccess.com/moneyplan to make sure you don’t miss it. 🎧 RELATED EPISODES These episodes have exhibition venues as a primary focus: Putting Artists First in Curatorial Projects with Melissa Messina (ep. 136) A Married Life in Art: Sam Woolcott and Poe Dismuke (ep. 8) Portrait Project and Museum Exhibition with Lisa Kovvuri (ep. 11) ⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.