The Art Biz

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.

Explore the importance of expanding income streams for artists and diversifying sources of income. Learn how to categorize income sources and analyze income numbers for better understanding. Understand the reasons behind fluctuations in sales and commissions and how to make informed decisions for the future.

In this episode, I talk with Jan McCarthy, who wants you to know that there is plenty of life to live after 50. And even 60. She describes herself as a maker because, in her eyes, that term encompasses more than the word “artist.” Jan has started businesses, founded organizations, designed interiors, organized fundraisers, dinner parties, retreats, and workshops, and made plenty of products and art. Jan and I discuss: The creativity workshops she has organized for corporations. How she has brought together monthly mastermind meetings of women, and why a casual dinner party was the best format for them. Why her project Art for the Heart is important for her as someone who has lived with heart disease for more than 25 years. How she makes connections with interior designers, what the best social media platforms are for designers, and some of their concerns. How she gets such great photos of herself. While I’m in the midst of discussing multiple income sources on this podcast and on YouTube, I don’t think Jan thinks of her efforts in terms of income sources. She just follows the themes that interest her. If they turn into income sources, well, that’s fine, too. 📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/curiosity-mccarthy ⭐️ Connect with Jan, see her art and products: https://janmccarthy.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. ⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

In this episode, I talk with Sarah Becktel about her sources of income and how she has increased her income by 25% in the last 3 years by being very deliberate about where and how she shows her work. Sarah does sell through galleries, but she has recently increased her self-sales by 400% by focusing on 3 specific types of indoor shows every year. She breaks them down as follows: One indoor art fair, which she considers her solo exhibition for the year Two fine art and craft shows One curated and juried holiday market You’ll hear Sarah discuss the difference among these, including their costs and the type of work she brings to each. 📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/self-sales-becktel ⭐️ Connect with Sarah, see more of her art, and read about her Preparing for Art Fairs and Markets workshop: https://sarahbecktel.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: Not All Online Galleries are Created Equal with Alex Farkas (ep 132) Seeking Validation and Earning Credibility as an Artist (ep 129) She's the Link Between Artists, Galleries, and Collectors with Maria Brito (ep 127) ⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

In this episode, I talk with Kimberly Santini about a variety of topics, including how she used Covid as a sabbatical to figure out what she really wanted from her art. We also touched on her dedication to blogging and why she continues the habit after so many artists have given up or neglected their blogs. The bulk of our conversation focused on how Kim uses Patreon to teach and build a community of artists. We discuss: What she charges for her Patreon patron tiers. What each tier receives for their patronage. What her workflow is like. Why it’s important that what she shares on Patreon is closely aligned with what she is doing in the studio. How she differentiates the content for patrons from the content she creates for her blog, newsletter, YouTube, and social media. ✴️ 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 teaching as a primary focus: Making a Living as a Teaching Artist with Elizabeth St. Hilaire (ep 4) Collaborating on Your Art Business with Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin (ep 86) Gaining Marketing Skills Quickly by Leading a Creativity Challenge with Kristen O’Neill (ep 145) The Key to Success on Social Media with Cathy Nichols (ep 154) 📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/santini-patreon ⭐️ Connect with Kim and see more of her art: https://kimberlysantini.com ⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

I can say with confidence that artists who happily embrace their role as CEO of their businesses do better than artists who fight it and wish they didn’t have to deal with the grind. Wishing won’t make it go away. It only makes you more frustrated, anxious, or resentful. This doesn’t mean that you need to fake joy whenever you’re paying bills. It means that you accept that it comes with the territory. You rise to the challenge because you know it’s a necessary step toward achieving your goals. There are ways to be happier about running a profitable art business, but first you must decide that you want a business on top of making work in the studio. Not every artist should turn their art into a business. But if you choose to go the route of earning money from your art, do it wholeheartedly. You can be pouty and grumble about all of the hard work necessary for something you said you wanted. Or you can find ways to enjoy the journey. How would you rather go through life? 💡 IDEAS In this episode I expand on these 6 ideas to make you happier about running your art business. Go complaint-free. Raise your prices. Collaborate more often. Find your (artist) people. Encourage someone else. Get your art and yourself out of the studio. 💵 CHECK OUT THE MONEY PLAN September 2023 live success workshop to help you earn more income. Get your name on the interest list! https://artbizsuccess.com/moneyplan ✴️ FIND YOUR ARTIST PEOPLE If you have been missing that community of artists, but haven’t found your people, we’d love to have you join us. See what we’re all about and dive in today. ArtBizConnection.com 🎧 RELATED and MENTIONED EPISODES Multiply Your Audience and Expand Your Show’s Impact with Jill Powers (ep 27) Collaborating on Your Art Business with Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin (ep 86) Play Tops Work, Connection Tops Solitude, and Confidence Tops Fear with Willie Cole (ep 126) Putting Artists First in Curatorial Projects with Melissa Messina (ep 136) Being Seen—Networking for Artists (ep 148) Committed to Telling Native Stories Through Her Art and Activism with Danielle SeeWalker (ep 153) 📖 To read more, see featured artists, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/be-happier ⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

While not everyone will be interested in your art, you can choose to focus on those who genuinely love your work. To embrace what is rather than wishing for it to be different. In this episode Cathy Nichols went from 5,000 to 107,000 Instagram followers in 3 years by researching who they were and why they were following her. She shares valuable insights about how she continues to grow her art business with joy and authenticity. We discuss: How Cathy researched who her followers were. What she started doing differently to grow her audience. How her teaching offerings changed as a result of what she learned. What’s coming up next for Cathy. ✴️ BONUS FOR LISTENERS Tired of trying to figure out the strategies for growing your art business all by yourself? Please join my coaching community, the Art Biz Accelerator. When you are one of the first 5 new people to sign up and mention you heard about it on episode 154 of The Art Biz, you will receive a bonus, private consultation with me. All of the details are here: https://artbizsuccess.com/accelerator 🎧 RELATED EPISODES Growing Beyond Being an Instagram Artist with Sara Schroeder (#119) Growing Your Art Business on Instagram with Jeanne Rosier Smith (#67) Who Are The People On Your List and What Are They Doing There? (#102) 📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/nichols-audience ⭐️ Connect with Cathy and see more of her art: https://cathynichols.com ⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

In this episode, I talk with Danielle SeeWalker, a Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Native American stories are too frequently told from an historical perspective, but Danielle and other contemporary Indigenous artists want you to know that they’re still here. They never left. We just silenced them for too long after stealing their land. Danielle has beautiful stories to tell, from which we can all learn. And she’s dealing with the same stuff as other artists: balancing motherhood with her art and activism. We discuss: The symbolism in her work that came from a dream. The many hats she wears. The variety of art forms she works with. How she decides which projects to take on. How the rest of us can serve as allies for Indigenous people around the globe. One lovely takeaway from this interview is that Danielle doesn’t separate her art from her life. Everything is connected. 📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/seewalker-native-stories ⭐️ Connect with Danielle and see more of her art: https://seewalker.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, which was stolen from them after many broken promises and treaties. ~ ~ ! 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/

Every artist I have ever worked with would like to squeeze more time from their busy calendars. After all, you are overflowing with ideas. You’ll never have time to make everything you want to make, and that is incredibly frustrating. In this episode I share 8 tips for time management along with 2 truths to consider. 💡 HIGHLIGHTS 2 Truths about Time Management Time management is a lie. Instead, focus on self-management. The important stuff always gets done. 8 Tips for Time Management Make time for planning and use the brain dump when overwhelm creeps in. Understand your natural rhythms, and adjust your schedule to optimize your most productive hours. Honor your calendar and block out uninterrupted time for critical tasks. Turn repeated tasks into systems to eliminate decision-making. Group similar tasks together to save time and energy. Stop multitasking because it adds up to 25% more time to complete tasks. Automate everything possible, including follow-up for your subscribers. Learn to say No to invitations and opportunities that don’t align with your long-term goals. 📖 Read full transcript, find resources, see featured artists and related episodes, and leave a comment 💬 MENTIONED (affiliate links) Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear Organize Your Art Biz Grow Your List 🧡 Sponsored by the Art Biz Accelerator a coaching group to support and remind you that you’re part of a global artist community.