Do you ever find yourself wishing you had fewer artist followers on Instagram? Do you worry that you're not reaching enough buyers? Do you strive only for gallery owners and interior designers? This week, we're flipping this issue on it's head to highlight the positive aspects of a strong artist network.  As we discuss this issue, we share our own experiences and the benefits we've gained from building relationships with our peers. These benefits include painting sales, business advice, collaborations, and surprising opportunities - not to mention the fun we've had! We also answer a listener question about framing, share the inspiring story of an American singer-songwriter, and touch on the cycle of expansion and contraction in our work. Mentioned: Jason Isbell's Youtube concert Shilpe Agash on Instagram Tara Leaver's IG story highlights  Find us and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/artjuice Follow us on Instagram: Alice @alicesheridanstudio Louise @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Alice just held a virtual open studios and it sparked so many ideas for both of us.  It turns out that when galleries close, and art fairs cancel, and open studios can't happen, we are forced to come up with new ways to market our work. The possibilities are infinite - each of us just need to find our own unique way. Don't feel it all has to be polished and perfect. In this episode, we discuss ways to create a personal connection over the internet, how an edited video differs from a live presentation, and how the approach Alice took might translate into other online exhibiting opportunities such as how Janette Phillips is creating unique flower paintings.  We close with a call to action ... how might you make the most of this exciting time? If you enjoy the Art Juice podcast please vote for us in the Listener's Choice section! https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/vote Mentioned See what Alice created for a virtual Open Studio event here: https://alicesheridan.com/artistsathome/ See Janette Phillips idea for unique flower paintings here: https://www.janettephillips.com/workshops/ Gabriel Lipper's free video workshop has started but you can still catch up and see more here: https://artofgabriel.com/ Find us and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/artjuice Follow us on Instagram: Alice @alicesheridanstudio Louise @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week's topic was inspired by a busy and stressful week for both of us - a week in which we had to learn, adapt, and employ what Alice calls "just-in-time" learning. Our discussion covers growing pains in both our art and our business. We discuss the importance of failure or mistakes (and how we learn from them) and debate Seth Godin's idea that sometimes we are struggling because we are in a dip and will soon start to come up out of it, while at other times we are struggling because we actually went into a cul-de-sac, from which we can never emerge. In this case, he suggests, the best course of action is to give up and find something else to do. In the end, we both lean towards the idea that learning and growing are essential, which makes growing pains not only inevitable but actually desirable. If you've ever send a marketing email with a dead link, started a project with no idea how to manage it, or spent years trying to make the wrong thing work, this episode is for you! Mentioned Louise's Find Your Joy course opens at 6pm GMT on June 23rd - join at https://www.louisefletcherart.com Amanda Pickles website Seth Godin - The Dip See what Alice created for a virtual Open Studio event here: https://alicesheridan.com/artistsathome/ If you enjoy the Art Juice podcast please vote for us in the Listener's Choice section! https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/vote  Sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/artjuice Follow us on Instagram: Alice @alicesheridanstudio Louise @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week we're discussing creativity and specifically how to spark new ideas or creative energy. For Louise, the impetus seems to come when she is most busy, so that she has less time to think and dabble and is forced to take action quickly. For Alice, space and time and quiet are very important ... without that, she doesn't feel there's room for new ideas. But we both agree that outside input or external stimuli are vital, whether that is a conversation with another artist, an exhibition, a book, or just a trip on the tube. And we both feel that the best ideas often come from unexpected sources. - something just ignites that spark. We also discuss how we choose which ideas to bring to fruition and which to leave on what Alice calls "the idea shelf." As always, we have some points of similarity and some differences, so hopefully this conversation will help you think through your own creative process - maybe there are things you could do to create the ideal conditions for maximum creativity? Mentioned: Please vote for the Art Juice podcast here! https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/vote Find Tracey's book of Moems and order your own copy here: https://www.traceyelizabethdowning.com/poemsandgiftcard Sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/artjuice Follow us on Instagram: Alice @alicesheridanstudio Louise @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Has over-thinking in your studio ever frozen you in your tracks? But you also want to bring more consideration to you art than pure intuition? This one is for you! During our conversation with Brian last week, Alice asked “Is it enough to just focus on a buttery brush stroke?” and this led to a discussion of the role of the intellect in painting. Brian suggested that thought must only happen outside the studio, with instinct and intuition being the guide while he is working. So today we thought we’d dive more into this topic. The balance of feeling and thinking in painting - how much do we need a concept? How important is intellectual thinking? Does working intuitively just mean throwing paint around willy-nilly? At what point is it most effective to think - before, during or after a painting? And is it the same for each of us? We also play "ask the Brian oracle" with a listener question... And Louise's final inspiration (Brian’s statement ‘humidity made me a painter’) might leave you with a question: "What is the one thing we continually come back to in our work?" Mentioned Please vote for the Art Juice podcast here! https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/vote Join Louise's free 'Find Your Joy" taster course here https://thispaintinglife.mykajabi.com/free-FYJ-wait Sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/artjuice Follow us on Instagram: Alice @alicesheridanstudio Louise @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

“You can’t have a thought unless you have a feeling first. So the idea in painting is to freeze the feeling and then let the person have the thought.” Today we are talking with New York painter Brian Rutenberg about all the way in which artists must show up for their work in order to find a deeper truth. Amidst a currently enforced break from his studio it’s reassuring to hear he has the same fear of starting again. We talk about the arc of creating a painting, how to exaggerate to clarify and if painting serves no purpose why is it ultimately such an essential process in understanding and sharing feeling. Mentioned See Brian's work on his website: http://www.brianrutenbergart.com/ Brian's books on Amazon HERE Outside the US, Brian's book can be ordered by emailing gallery@forumgallery.com Watch Brian’s videos from his studio on You Tube HERE Sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/artjuice Follow us on Instagram: Alice @alicesheridanstudio Louise @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week, we share 3 of the questions that we are most often asked, and discuss why they're really not helpful. Often, especially when we are starting out or when we are switching to a new medium, we ask questions as a kind of shortcut ... it feels easier to ask than to work it out for ourselves. But the truth is that the answers to these questions are unique for each of us. Only you can find the answer that works for you. That said, we do have some suggestions that we hope are helpful. This week we are also moving back to working on larger paintings, which feels really good, and we are both working hard on our membership groups. As an added bonus, Alice shares her lockdown TV recommendations! Mentioned Last chance to join Louise's Art Tribe at the founder's discount rate: https://thispaintinglife.mykajabi.com/art-tribe Sally Hirst free courses on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCewJ2YXT8hN8Gb3g7LMkQKw Sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/artjuice Follow us on Instagram: Alice @alicesheridanstudio Louise @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week's main topic was prompted by Alice's decision to lend a painting to a leading home decor magazine. The painting appears on the front cover this month, but some people were critical of her decision to loan the piece free of charge.  So in this episode, we discuss whether it's OK to work for free and what criteria you might apply when deciding. We cover loans like the one Alice made as well as charitable donations, fundraising events, speeches and workshops, and we weigh up long-term brand benefits versus short-term financial gains. In the end, each artist has to decide where he or she draws the line, but we hope this conversation helps you determine what might be right for you. Mentioned: Sign up for the Connected Artist Wait List here:  https://alicesheridan.com/artists/ Sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/artjuice Follow us on Instagram: Alice @alicesheridanstudio Louise @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Ever felt that the odds of making art were stacked against you? Busting this myth was what prompted today's guest Marissa Huber to start a series of interviews with other artists. She wasn't prepared to sit back and be told there was no longer time in her life to do what was important for her. Two children later and still with a full time job she has just published 'The Motherhood of Art' with Heather Kirtland and we talk about when self-care came into existence, following the natural flow of any creative project and the reality of current situations vs. your dreams.  We also touch on boundaries of sharing online and how collaborations with others can help propel you forward. Whether you are a mother or not there will be ideas here to encourage you. The book is beautiful, but real,  and would make an amazing gift for any woman balancing her own creativity along with raising a family. Do take a look ... Mentioned: Read Interviews and Find the book: http://www.carveouttimeforart.com/the-motherhood-of-art Carve Out time for Art on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carveouttimeforart/ Find Marissa Huber on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/marissahuber/ Sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/artjuice Follow us on Instagram: Alice @alicesheridanstudio Louise @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week, we address an email from a listener who writes “Could you and Alice address the “what’s the point of art”, “what do I do with all this crap” sort of issues? I’ve not listened to the news for a while now, but am actually listening to very little at all. Sometimes I find people too jolly, too positive, so I guess I’m looking for gentle, encouraging, empathetic. I can’t seem to pull myself up at the moment.” In response, we discuss how much it is our responsibility to change our mental state ... and how can do it. We also suggest that the question should be 'what is the point of art for ME?' Understanding this gives you motivation to show up even when you don't feel like it. Interestingly, we feel differently about this question and have different solutions, so hopefully you will resonate with one of us. We also discuss the 'butterfly effect' and why it might be a good thing and we share the ways in which we change our own moods (including a rather drastic strategy Alice recently employed - and is not recommending to others!) Mentioned: Extras outtakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_thjUPE1i4 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQMg8Ve1Gy0 Abraham Hicks: https://youtu.be/1ddJyJoSOrg Art in Isolation episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoqTM4IljJM Gretchen Rubin Four Tendencies Quiz HERE Sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/artjuice Follow us on Instagram: Alice @alicesheridanstudio Louise @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License